Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[BergevinBurner]

If you're up 2-0, lots of players on the other team will want to start something. Xhekaj doesn't pick his spots. What's he gonna do, go crazy after every borderline hit that gets made against the Habs? He'll never be on the ice. And a player in the dressing isn't much of a deterrent.

Obviously I wouldn't expect a response like that for every borderline hit. But for 2 very reckless plays targeting our top 6 I'm all for him showing a bit of pushback.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841523788992901482

"Obviously, there’s no intent to injure, there’s no intent to hurt anybody, but he’s a protector,” said Caufield of Xhekaj. “He’s a guy that you want on your team, that everybody respects, and I know he’s respected around the league. He’s physical, and he brings a lot of other things too. There’s right and wrong ways to go about it, but at the end of the day he’s fighting for one of us and he’s always ready to go to war for whatever happens. And I think that’s the way he was raised, it’s the way he was brought up — he always takes care of the people who take care of him. It’s nice to have a guy like that on your team that will do anything for you. It’s rare to have someone who will do it as consistently.

“I think we stand up for one another, but he’s the best example of that.”

"I think that actions speak louder than words most of the time,” said captain Nick Suzuki. “Sticking up for each other is showing that everyone’s on the same level and that if one guy’s going to be gone after we’re all going to stick up for each other. It shows that we’ve got a tight group.”

 

[Habs]

I'd argue that the lack of offense and defense are holding the team back more.

I'm from the old school where the offense opens up with a good forecheck and open ice , created by bigger heavier teams etc. Also allows for a more effective dump&Chase, which we used to attempt for decades and the little smurfs get pounded, yet we can't get the puck back.

We can't even cycle the puck well, and our even strength suffers because we can't create much space either. When is the last time we wore a team down or could compete physically? I'd suggest our little magical cup run, we had some decent size with Staal, Perry etc. In 93 we had an enormous team on our depth lines, we could play any style you wanted. Thinking about taking some liberties? Answer to a half dozen gorillas that would come at you just the same.

We are still a 2 line team, I believe we rebuild even faster by beefing up the bottom lines to create more space and opportunities. I do not like this drop pass or the current system, on ANY team. Giving the puck to your a guy and saying 'now go over this wall at full speed' is not a great plan.

I don't even know what the plan is or the ideal team is from management. All I know is the Rangers were being pushed around a fair amount when JG was there, and it turned around fast when he left. Hockey hasn't changed a lot in 100 years, it's just very very fast now and the clutch and grab is long gone. I don't want to be an easy team to play against, I want our young start forwards taken care of. I 100% agree our Offense and Defense are holding the team back as well

 

[Deebs]

I don't even know what the plan is or the ideal team is from management. All I know is the Rangers were being pushed around a fair amount when JG was there, and it turned around fast when he left. Hockey hasn't changed a lot in 100 years, it's just very very fast now and the clutch and grab is long gone. I don't want to be an easy team to play against, I want our young start forwards taken care of. I 100% agree our Offense and Defense are holding the team back as well

It doesn't matter what the Rangers did, especially when Gorton isn't building the team here. Not sure why people keep bringing this up. Hughes is the builder and has no issues with bringing in players with grit and size. They'll get implemented as we move forward and certain contracts go away.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I'm from the old school where the offense opens up with a good forecheck and open ice , created by bigger heavier teams etc. Also allows for a more effective dump&Chase, which we used to attempt for decades and the little smurfs get pounded, yet we can't get the puck back.

We can't even cycle the puck well, and our even strength suffers because we can't create much space either. When is the last time we wore a team down or could compete physically? I'd suggest our little magical cup run, we had some decent size with Staal, Perry etc. In 93 we had an enormous team on our depth lines, we could play any style you wanted. Thinking about taking some liberties? Answer to a half dozen gorillas that would come at you just the same.

We are still a 2 line team, I believe we rebuild even faster by beefing up the bottom lines to create more space and opportunities. I do not like this drop pass or the current system, on ANY team. Giving the puck to your a guy and saying 'now go over this wall at full speed' is not a great plan.

I don't even know what the plan is or the ideal team is from management. All I know is the Rangers were being pushed around a fair amount when JG was there, and it turned around fast when he left. Hockey hasn't changed a lot in 100 years, it's just very very fast now and the clutch and grab is long gone. I don't want to be an easy team to play against, I want our young start forwards taken care of. I 100% agree our Offense and Defense are holding the team back as well

That still has nothing to do with the bottom 6, that's a complaint about the top-6. Having more grit in the bottom 6 doesn't help create space for players they're not on the ice with. Having Slafkovsky and a healthy Dach does. So does playing Anderson higher in the lineup than he should or is actually beneficial for Montreal.

Nor has management not recognized that. They inherited the worst team in the NHL with highest payroll in the NHL. They've been cleaning the capsheet while trying to accrue players who fit the age timeline of who was there. Of what the projected top 6 was, all of the players with size (and some fight) were acquired by the current management group. But part of rebuilding is tearing down what was there and it takes time to clear out the Burj Khalifa of shit.

Montreal lacks depth when fully healthy and they've been farther from fully healthy than any team in the NHL. It takes time.

 

[FLHabs]

The l'antichambre panel from last night has got to feel real stupid now with all the bs they were spouting about Xhekaj

 

[Richard Bolton]

The l'antichambre panel from last night has got to feel real stupid now with all the bs they were spouting about Xhekaj

They should have been feeling real stupid way before last night.

 

[Deebs]

The l'antichambre panel from last night has got to feel real stupid now with all the bs they were spouting about Xhekaj

I didn't see or hear about it but could you give a quick coles notes synopsis of what took place?

 

[Adriatic]

The l'antichambre panel from last night has got to feel real stupid now with all the bs they were spouting about Xhekaj

Brunet the only one making any kind of sense.

 

[Mrb1p]

Tkachuk jumping Xhekaj could be argued as intent to injure and it's not a hockey play. Struble's hit on Greig was late and very likely had intent to injure or send a message. I just think it's a slippery slope to suspend a guy of perceived intent.

Nah, theres a huge difference between a 40 kmh dead stop and what ever Brady tried to do.

As for Struble, thats where the slippery slopes starts. Yes it was retaliatory, interference, etc. But where I have less trouble with the hit is because Struble was already engaged on the hit when Greig let go of the puck, meanwhile AX took a whole second to engage after the puck left Stutzles stick.

Also, thats harder to judge but Xhekaj def jumped very hard in the hit, Struble stopped him in a classic manner.

I just don't like those late retaliation hit where the sole purpose is injury or intimidation and on top of that I don't like the cross-ice leap into the blind-side, type of hit. I see one as dangerous and reckless and the other as more of a hockey play.

On Greigs hit, I see it as a lesser hit than Xhekaj solely because it wasn't a clear case of interfence and because he didn't leap into the hit. With that said, it is worse than Strubles because he's the 2nd man in IMO.

Or maybe it's just that blind side hits are just very, very reckless.

 

[puckeater]

There’s no respect by the officials towards the players. It’s so obvious to any ardent fan they are well below any standard set by the average pro sports league across the globe except Russian figure skating judges.

Someone will clean that crap up eventually. For now, the sheriffs of the league have to police the game while officials are busy powertripping.

Like prison.

 

[FLHabs]

I didn't see or hear about it but could you give a quick coles notes synopsis of what took place?

They were saying how Xhekaj is hurting the team with bad decisions (who cares it's preseason), that he's gonna get suspended and hurt the team even more because the first games are against Toronto, Boston, Ottawa, and just that they weren't happy with his decisions. I think it's more so the fact that they were dragging him throughout pretty much the WHOLE show, almost as if they were trying to run him out of town or something. The worst imo was Flynn. He was straight glazing Tkachuk up and down for jumping Xhekaj, but out of the same breath was telling Xhekaj to tone it down because he didn't like the Pare incident, just ridiculous.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

I may be old school, but part of the code, and you'll hear Nilan talk about this, was that "if you go after our top guys, we'll go after your top guys."

This is the only deterrent I can think of in a league that is increasingly trying to take out fighting and where cheapshots and intent to injure still run rampant.

I get that an eye for an eye makes everyone blind, but hopefully the prospect of losing an eye will deter some of the poking that's been going on against us for a very long time. We need more players like Arber. Not fewer.

 

[CharleyHorse]

Yes, but then you have to be okay with the return of the pendulum. When it happens to our players because a dirty hit was done by a Hab, we better not whine like the Sens are doing, thats such a bad look.

There's no conspiracy against the Habs, it's gonna happen both ways.

I'm not advocating for anyone on the Habs to initiate dirty plays, but I do believe there should be an equal response when dirty hits happen to our players and the refs stand around with their thumbs up their asses. That’s exactly what I think X did last night – he didn’t start it, but he finished it. If X had taken a run at Stutzle before Greig pulled his nonsense on Dach, I’d be the first to call him out, just like I was when Gallagher blindsided Pelech. At least with Gallagher, the refs made the right call and tossed him. Had they done the same with Greig, it could have ended there, aside from a few hard but clean checks.

 

[Mrb1p]

I'm not advocating for anyone on the Habs to initiate dirty plays, but I do believe there should be an equal response when dirty hits happen to our players and the refs stand around with their thumbs up their asses. That’s exactly what I think X did last night – he didn’t start it, but he finished it. If X had taken a run at Stutzle before Greig pulled his nonsense on Dach, I’d be the first to call him out, just like I was when Gallagher blindsided Pelech. At least with Gallagher, the refs made the right call and tossed him. Had they done the same with Greig, it could have ended there, aside from a few hard but clean checks.

Me too. Force him to drop em like Dach did, or hit him hard anywhere.

Just don't try to end a career, that's the limit I draw. Even Strubles hit was a beautiful one IMO.

 

[Kennerback]

Yes. Dach said it himself, its not a hockey play. We can't have it both ways, we'll just look like f***ing clowns. I'd hate to look like a Sens fan or a Bruins fan they look so f***ing stupid most of the time, lets not be them.


That's a pretty big stretch youre making. That wasn't just interference, that was, I am crossing the whole rink at full speed and have only one intent, and interference.

The problem is that you can be charged with attempted murder if you miss while shooting your gun. It's the same principle. It's not because he missed or there was no injury, or no contact to the head that it wasn't stupid and predatory.

He tried his best.

Well the actual rule is "separating" a player from the puck, so no, not every hit is looking to hurt someone.

I'm also probably the biggest fan of physical hockey in the world, heck, I have endured more punishment and given out more punishment than you'll ever do in the last month alone, as I practice sports that are rooted in violence. With that said, we can't just be this emotional and be angry about the Greig hit and excuse Xhekaj. They are the same hit.

Except attempted murder is a separate charge from murder. It’s one of the the few charge where the attempt is also illegal. There’s no such thing as attempted dangerous body check. Furthermore article 60.1 of the NHL states that « Players must be in control and responsible for their sticks. » If Stutzle played his stick near the ice instead of up towards the ceiling, neither he nor anyone else would have gotten hurt.

 

[calder candidate]

That how you gonna get Hutson decapitated.

If someone go and try to head hunt Hutson for no reason that is on them not on Xhekaj…
The only reason this happen is that Grieg did something that might be worst even if it doesn’t look that way and didn’t answer the bell… Also it look horrible and it is a illegal hit but there no contact to the head (regardless of intention) now going FW if someone think about doing something a dirty hit they know they have to take responsibility if they don’t it we double it and give it to the next guy. Now they think twice about doing anything something that is border line.

 

[LV426]

Beauty hit on that Olympic diver.

 

[Mrb1p]

Except attempted murder is a separate charge from murder. It’s one of the the few charge where the attempt is also illegal. There’s no such thing as attempted dangerous body check. Furthermore article 60.1 of the NHL states that « Players must be in control and responsible for their sticks. » If Stutzle played his stick near the ice instead of up towards the ceiling, neither he nor anyone else would have gotten hurt.

Im arguing it should be illegal.

I don't care about the results, only intent. Reckless hitting shouldn't be in the NHL.

 

[habdynasty]

Rds is garbage.

 

[BergevinBurner]

Im arguing it should be illegal.

I don't care about the results, only intent. Reckless hitting shouldn't be in the NHL.

The league can't even manage to properly enforce the rules that are black and white, I can't imagine the shit show the league would become if they start trying to enforce the intent behind hits.

 

[Habby4Life]

You're debating millisecond body adjustments. It doesn't matter. He crossed the whole ice at full speed, launched himself full force and chicken winged himself into a player that had no puck for more than a second and it was a completely blindside hit.

There's no defending this. The puck left Stutzles stick before Xhekaj even decided to shift his hips into the hit.

View attachment 911714

Please don't be a homer.

The hit - it was late, from the side, it made contact with the body. He did not launch himself nor did he hit the head. His elbow came up after he made contact and passed by Stutlze. He got a penalty and that was enough.

I don’t care how many PP goals they scored, shit score 15,lol. The league does a horrible job protecting players and liberties continue to happen. We just saw a career nobody take out a top players knee. We saw a scrub 4th liner make a very similar hit on Kirby in a meaningless preseason game. Players need to police themselves.

Wifi sent a clear message, if you want to go that route, you leave your team vulnerable because it’s coming back. Wifi did exactly what he should have. I bet every guy in that room gave wifi a pat on the back, they know sometimes shit has to be taken care of on the ice.

It was nice to see and I hope moving forward the Habs continue that mentality.

 

[Kennerback]

Im arguing it should be illegal.

I don't care about the results, only intent. Reckless hitting shouldn't be in the NHL.

Are you going to add attempted instigator or attempted unsportsmanlike conduct too? You can’t start having Trials of Intent in sports. There wasn’t even a body check!

The league can't even manage to properly enforce the rules that are black and white, I can't imagine the shit show the league would become if they start trying to enforce the intent behind hits.

He doesn’t want to look at intent behind a hit, he wants to look at intent when there isn’t even a hit!

 

[rickthegoon]

What people tend to overlook, is that during the game against Toronto and same goes against Ottawa; the Habs were not the instigators in any fashion to the events that happened;
Xhekaj was not ´gooning ´ it up like some people here seem to think ; he only retaliated to defend, and to send a message.
I’m 100% behind his decisions; you cheap shot one of our stars; I’ll do the same to your team.
Eye for an eye ; that’s not goonery.
To this day, I have never once seen Xhekaj make a dirty play without prior provocation

 

[Habby4Life]

The wallflowers on here want the Habs to turn the other cheek. Players have been policing the game since its inception.

What they enjoy losing a top player for months to some worthless scrub taking a cheap shot.

Good for Wifi, he did an awesome job in both cases.