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Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

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The league is soft now. I get all the games , I think there was 4 fights in 16 games last night.
Edit. 3 fight in 16 games lol.
 
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Bourdon101 said:
Yup. Xhekaj's been bad but his replacements have not been better.

They need a guy like him to impose respect.

I was at the game. After the Barron hit, people in the stands behind the pressbox started chanting Xhekaj's name. Slafkovsky (who was laughing his ass off hearing it), Laine and RHP turned around and knew exactly what the fans meant and understood very well. Arber himself was pretending not to hear it, I'm guessing out of frustration. It was a clear indication (to me) that the players want this guy to play. They would rather live with the bad but have that fear factor on the ice.

At this point, the team is not winning anything so it doesn't matter that he sucks as a hockey player. Unless they get someone else to bring that element in the lineup, they need someone like Xhekaj to protect the team.
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He wasn’t playing like himself but I seriously believe Marty has certain players afraid to make a mistake,this is what separates an experienced coach from someone learning on the fly and this is where were ultimately going, which is backwards. I hate it when they say the fans don’t know anything yet if the people paying to see you perform can’t judge you what’s the point of your existence?
 
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Redux91 said:
Sigh
I just don't get Marty sometimes
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I had a hard time figuring out coaching decisions last year from both pro teams, but I’m often coaching from the couch. I can be critical and keep it to myself.

What I try to keep in mind is that he had zero coaching experience, so what our kids heard last year and jumped to it…..this year they may need a more creative version of MSL. And he may not have a different approach. I remember in training camp & the golf tournament MSL said there was going to be a different direction with player’s expectations. It’s early in the year I guess?

He's done a great job with the PP, Burrows was really in over his head.
 
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Monsieur Miz said:
Softest team in the league doesn't need a guy like Xhekaj in its line-up. :pcheer:
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There was a reason I wanted to address the bottom 6 last off season.
I thought our brain trust understood the need but they clearly didn't.
We couldn't even land one player to help ensure teams respect us a little bit.
I'm not sure getting Laine was a good bet but I am sure we'd get just as bitch slapped with him in the lineup.
Hughes talked about getting bigger it was the first thing out of his mouth but not a word about getting tougher.
 
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If Arber Xhekaj legitimately wants to be traded because he is getting scratched for not playing better than his competition, then trade him.

Thats not the case though because Arber isn't a quitter.

He will be better. But you don't get to just play because you can punch faces.
 
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Sasha Orlov said:
What
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you said Matheson got his ass beat and it was embarrassing?

So that's why people are complaining that AX didn't play, presumably that he would have fared better in that fight?

WeThreeKings said:
If Arber Xhekaj legitimately wants to be traded because he is getting scratched for not playing better than his competition, then trade him.

Thats not the case though because Arber isn't a quitter.

He will be better. But you don't get to just play because you can punch faces.
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I seriously doubt he's that entitled. He's in a competition with other players for a spot. That's his reality.

Like you said, he doesn't strike me as a quitter or someone who would feel like he's above being a healthy scratch.
 
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Bourdon101 said:
Yup. Xhekaj's been bad but his replacements have not been better.

They need a guy like him to impose respect.

I was at the game. After the Barron hit, people in the stands behind the pressbox started chanting Xhekaj's name. Slafkovsky (who was laughing his ass off hearing it), Laine and RHP turned around and knew exactly what the fans meant and understood very well. Arber himself was pretending not to hear it, I'm guessing out of frustration. It was a clear indication (to me) that the players want this guy to play. They would rather live with the bad but have that fear factor on the ice.

At this point, the team is not winning anything so it doesn't matter that he sucks as a hockey player. Unless they get someone else to bring that element in the lineup, they need someone like Xhekaj to protect the team.
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Wow crazy

I guess Arbs didn't want to end up on tiktok, he kept his game face on.
 
Redux91 said:
Sigh
I just don't get Marty sometimes
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Maybe 2 things. He was well surrounded to the point where maybe he did not see the need of players like arber. Or he does not like idea of losing arber for 10 minutes a game for fighting causing the d-men to play down a man.
 
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habdynasty said:
The league is soft now. I get all the games , I think there was 4 fights in 16 games last night.
Edit. 3 fight in 16 games lol.
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Fights don't settle shit anymore guys hide behind their visors.

Bedard got his jaw broken last year and he was sent flying in the 2 weeks ago nobody would touch 1st overalls like that back in the days.

Only thing they fear now is guys like X that will jump your best player in retaliation.
 
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Some of you talk as if he hadn’t been really solid in the second stretch of the season last year after his recall and before his injury. He was playing solid hockey as no 4 guy with Savard.

And while I agree he’s been struggling this year, please don’t act like Mailloux, Strubble, Baron or Hutson have been much better in the d-zone. Heck, even Savard has been ass. The D has been even worse with him out of the line up.

Edit:
He also keeps getting reprimanded and emasculated by St. Louis for playing his game and then we wonder why he looks flavorless on the ice. Let him play or trade him.
 
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HabsWhiteKnightLOL said:
Arber might not be good defensively but what we've seen from

Matheson , Struble , Savard , Barron , Mailloux , Hutson isnt any better defensively . So i don't know why he isnt playing over Struble Mailloux or Barron atleast. Kinda embarassing from MSL to play Mailloux whos AHL material at this moment play over Jackeye
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Barron and Mailloux are right shot defenseman.

Arber has to play better than Struble. He didn't in pre season. Struble had some rough games getting back up to speed and Barron hurt.

Now is his chance to establish his game and make it difficult to come out.
 
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His play suffers because MSL won’t allow him to be the nasty, physical defenseman that he needs to be. He gets benched, he gets blamed and he sits in the press box.

He’s going to take penalties, yes he has to be more careful and he’s worked on that, but he will take penalties. But what he brings is a presence, a swagger. The Habs play bigger and tougher when he’s in the lineup. The other team’s forwards are nervous and less aggressive - see Tkachuk, Brady from early on this season.

MSL gives countless chances to Barron, Matheson, Hutson, Struble and Mailloux when they’re poor defensively. Yet Xhekaj’s leash seems invariably shortened. I don’t think MSL knows how to coach him to maximize his contribution, and he obviously doesn’t value toughness in his lineup. I don’t think Xhekaj will ever get a fair shake with MSL as the coach, to become the defenseman and player he should be. Xhekaj needs a hard nosed coach that understands what he brings and won’t just toss him to the wolves when he makes a mistake.
 
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imnothere said:
Some of you talk as if he hadn’t been really solid in the second stretch of the season last year after his recall and before his injury. He was playing solid hockey as no 4 guy with Savard.

And while I agree he’s been struggling this year, please don’t act like Mailloux, Strubble, Baron or Hutson have been much better in the d-zone. Heck, even Savard has been ass. The D has been even worse with him out of the line up.

Edit:
He also keeps getting reprimanded and emasculated by St. Louis for playing his game and then we wonder why he looks flavorless on the ice. Let him play or trade him.
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Emasculated?!?!?!
 
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I love X but he's not going to succeed in the half assed system Marty has created.

X doesn't process the game at the elite level nor the skating that one needs for martys tight zone defense. And Marty is not smart enough to create a system around the majority of players.

The biggest issue of all, does Hughes know what to do to fix this?
 
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