Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[Bacchus1]

Regardless of his mistakes, we need to keep Xhekaj in the lineup. We need someone who cares, who lays down the law, and who holds others accountable on a buy in level in the lineup. We have too many passengers, and we need someone who is all in on the ice, and Xhekaj is all in, if he feels that he has the coache’s confidence.

 

[Hannibal]

His best game of the season tonight. Him and Struble are good together.

 

[417]

In the games I've watched, we get less of a beating when he's around.

Acciari had no issues playing his game and taking a cheap shot tonight even though 72 was in the lineup.

This is not a criticism on Xhekaj tonight, he was pretty non-descript which is fine for him.

But we can rest that narrative that he keeps other players honest. It’s just not true and it’s not a singular reason to have him in the lineup when he’s not playing well (again, not referring to tonight)

Just gonna spitball here a little bit to see what you and other might think:

-Question... Do you think Marty is allowing him to play his game and take the occasional penalty, or do you think he's kneecapping him by punishing him whenever he does?

I don’t think he’s punishing him at all. The NHL isn’t easy and Xhekaj, like most young Dmen, is learning how to play in the league. Sitting and watching from time to time, is part of the process.

He’ll be ok, he’s not that delicate.

 

[Monsieur Miz]

For a big guy, he doesn't hit enough. Romanov never fought but he laid some huge momentum shifting hits when he was there. No reason for Xhekaj to not do the same.

 

[HabsAddict]

For a big guy, he doesn't hit enough. Romanov never fought but he laid some huge momentum shifting hits when he was there. No reason for Xhekaj to not do the same.

Hitting without getting caught out of position requires sharp timing and the coaches blessing if he gets caught. It won't take much more then a suggestion that SmartyMarty " won't like it" for him to not hit.

He's been de-nutted by the coach and the yo-yoing.

 

[Walksss]

Yeah one of the great hockey minds will have to explain why Slaf took such a gutless cheapshot while X was around to scare everybody.

It's almost as if that's not a thing these days. It's 2024 not 1974.

 

[Hannibal]

Yeah one of the great hockey minds will have to explain why Slaf took such a gutless cheapshot while X was around to scare everybody.

It's almost as if that's not a thing these days. It's 2024 not 1974.

At least he did something. They were four other guys on the ice when slaf got hit that looked away. p***yes.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

For a big guy, he doesn't hit enough. Romanov never fought but he laid some huge momentum shifting hits when he was there. No reason for Xhekaj to not do the same.

If it was that easy, there would be a LOT more open ice hits every night.
It’s a skill. Timing, positioning, skating, reading the play. Romanov excelled at finding the right time to hit those. As did Emelin. I miss them both for that lol.
Not gonna be part of Arbers game.(at least not consistently like those guys) He’ll bring his physicality along the boards and in front of the net, and dropping the gloves when needed.

 

[Walksss]

At least he did something. They were four other guys on the ice when slaf got hit that looked away. p***yes.

What good did it do?

 

[Kimota]

For a big guy, he doesn't hit enough. Romanov never fought but he laid some huge momentum shifting hits when he was there. No reason for Xhekaj to not do the same.

There's not a lot of hitting in the NHL anyways nowadays but I think he is restricked in what he can do cause of the coach and management. If it was up to him, he would be head hunting.

 

[Hannibal]

What good did it do?

He went after acciari at the end. Do you even f***ing watch the games?

 

[Kimota]

I really wished Xhekaj would be used as a forward to just go wild. Like I wished Kovasevic would be used as a 4th line forward. Just crash and bang everything that moves and not worry about defensive shit.

 

[jrom]

Yeah one of the great hockey minds will have to explain why Slaf took such a gutless cheapshot while X was around to scare everybody.

It's almost as if that's not a thing these days. It's 2024 not 1974.

do you think there's more chance he gets cheapshotted with Xhekaj in the lineup or less chance ?

 

[Beendair Donedat]

What good did it do?

What good did turning away and pretending it didn’t happen do?

 

[Walksss]

He went after acciari at the end. Do you even f***ing watch the games?

Struble had to fight him because all Acciari has to do is say no. Like he did earlier in the game. See how easy it was?

Either way it prevented **nothing**. Our star still gets hurt with big bad Xhekaj on the roster. It's the ultimate example of how stupid this all is.

do you think there's more chance he gets cheapshotted with Xhekaj in the lineup or less chance ?

The exact same amount honestly. Maybe if Xhekaj hadn't big dogged Acciari earlier he doesn't feel the need to act like a rat, who knows?

 

[Mrb1p]

For a big guy, he doesn't hit enough. Romanov never fought but he laid some huge momentum shifting hits when he was there. No reason for Xhekaj to not do the same.

He used to hit a lot more before Marty got his hands on him.

 

[417]

Struble had to fight him because all Acciari has to do is say no. Like he did earlier in the game. See how easy it was?

Either way it prevented **nothing**. Our star still gets hurt with big bad Xhekaj on the roster. It's the ultimate example of how stupid this all is.


The exact same amount honestly. Maybe if Xhekaj hadn't big dogged Acciari earlier he doesn't feel the need to act like a rat, who knows?

That’s how Acciari plays and that’s how he will always play regardless of who is in the lineup on the other side.

 

[RabbleMasterBlaster]

I’m not even gonna even elaborate why Matheson has more rope than Arber.

Matheson, with all his flaws is a far superior Dman to Arber. This is just silly.

Everyone is defender a version of Arber that doesn’t exist. His toughness does not make up for the fact that he just hasn’t been good defensively. And it’s not like he makes up for it by pushing the play offensively.

Right now, he’s a liability on the ice and punching faces doesn’t change that.

It’s the classic thing we see over and over on this board with tougher players. They need to bring more than just their aggressivity.

Thats nto really the point im trying to make. Every player makes mistakes, some even worse ones and we know what they are and they are never gonna change. If you want a guy like Arber to be part of your future, you HAVE to allow him to make mistakes and not cause him to fear making mistakes because MSL is gonna scratch him for just breathing wrong. Players CANNOT grow and get better when treated this way.

Matheson makes far more costly mistakes than Arber ever does (normal, he plays more). If you don't think a guy is gonna be part of your future, f***ing move him. Don't rope a dope him like this. Have we learned nothing??? Is this a Canadiens specialty to jerk players around like this? No wonder we never get better.

I cannot believe that this team "lacks talent". I don't buy that for a second. All i'm seeing is a huge coaching black hole both on offense and defense. We're damn lucky Caufield can score despite the horrendous system, otherwise we might have had several games of getting shut out already.

 

[Hannibal]

Struble had to fight him because all Acciari has to do is say no. Like he did earlier in the game. See how easy it was?

Either way it prevented **nothing**. Our star still gets hurt with big bad Xhekaj on the roster. It's the ultimate example of how stupid this all is.


The exact same amount honestly. Maybe if Xhekaj hadn't big dogged Acciari earlier he doesn't feel the need to act like a rat, who knows?

Struble didn’t even fight acciari. What the f*** you even actually say.

You actually don’t watch the actual f***ing game.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

I thought he played well tonight. I like how he's hitting. Why are people comparing him to Romanov? He doesn't have to hit like that to be effective. Just take the hits that come to him and make people pay. Be big and tough. Much better game tonight. And I liked the hit on Acciari at the end. No quarters for that guy...

 

[417]

Thats nto really the point im trying to make. Every player makes mistakes, some even worse ones and we know what they are and they are never gonna change. If you want a guy like Arber to be part of your future, you HAVE to allow him to make mistakes and not cause him to fear making mistakes because MSL is gonna scratch him for just breathing wrong. Players CANNOT grow and get better when treated this way.

Matheson makes far more costly mistakes than Arber ever does (normal, he plays more). If you don't think a guy is gonna be part of your future, f***ing move him. Don't rope a dope him like this. Have we learned nothing??? Is this a Canadiens specialty to jerk players around like this? No wonder we never get better.

I cannot believe that this team "lacks talent". I don't buy that for a second. All i'm seeing is a huge coaching black hole both on offense and defense. We're damn lucky Caufield can score despite the horrendous system, otherwise we might have had several games of getting shut out already.

There’s no way you watch this team and come away with the conclusion it isn’t lacking in talent.

 

[Walksss]

Struble didn’t even fight acciari. What the f*** you even actually say.

You actually don’t watch the actual f***ing game.

My bad I'm at a bar and only 2 of us here are Habs fans, it's hard to watch when we're so shit. I thought Struble got a hold of Acciari but instead nobody did. You're right that's much better.

I concede your point, good thing nobody got hurt cause the sheriff is here lmao.

 

[ReimanSum1908]

do you think there's more chance he gets cheapshotted with Xhekaj in the lineup or less chance ?

No. There is precisely the same chance of him being cheap shot.

That's the point.

Talentless slugs who exist to perform in the rodeo clown sideshow that is a hockey fight don't deter cheap shots and never have. This has been known for decades.

 

[pepperMonkey]

He went after acciari at the end. Do you even f***ing watch the games?

I think the point is, that something should have happened when the incident happened. I.e. if Xhekaj wasn't on the ice at the time, a teammate who 'was' on the ice at the time should have done something. And if it was all Smurfs on the ice at the time, then the next non-Smurf should have done something. I.e. not to wait till the end to exact justice. Xhekaj going after him at the end of the game just means that for Acciari, he's allowed to go on a rampage and take out anyone 'during' the game which would impact the game knowing that nothing will happen to him till the end of the game where it won't impact the game.

 

[HabsAddict]

So much

I. Xhekaj going after him at the end of the game just means that for Acciari, he's allowed to go on a rampage and take out anyone 'during' the game which would impact the game knowing that nothing will happen to him till the end of the game where it won't impact the game.

Tell me you have no idea what you're talking about without actually saying it...

X can't go after Accari until we either have a big lead or a big loss. That's why X had to wait until the end of the game to go after Accari.

That's so simple that it's embarrassing to explain it to a so called habs fan.