Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff
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Adriatic
Registered User
- Feb 27, 2004
- 6,672
- 4,404
Xhekaj is living rent free in the leafs Pre-game thread discussion. They are pissed that they have to dress Reaves just in case.
I honestly don’t want Xhekaj to fight Reaves. Xhekaj is more important to us long term than fighting unidimensional heavyweights.
It’s just interesting to see the deterrent impact Xhekaj is having on other teams, while not even being at is peak yet.
I honestly don’t want Xhekaj to fight Reaves. Xhekaj is more important to us long term than fighting unidimensional heavyweights.
It’s just interesting to see the deterrent impact Xhekaj is having on other teams, while not even being at is peak yet.
Frankenheimer
Sir, this is an Arber
One of the best enforcers in the league and a solid contributing player. He's played less than a 100 games and shown decent offense. Very lucky to have him. And I have no doubt he can control himself if needed. He's a smart guy.
Don't dress Reaves and nothing will happen because Xhekaj isn't actually a goon...
I feel like Leafs and Sens (fans and teams) are just trying to stir shit so they can play the victim afterward.
Hannibal
Fear the Weber
- Feb 11, 2007
- 10,826
- 8,111
Man, just read the game thread on the leafs. Xhekaj really lives free in their heads. Just like sens fans! 
What a player we have. They mad cause Reaves sucks ar hockey while Xhekaj is a legit hockey player.
What a player we have. They mad cause Reaves sucks ar hockey while Xhekaj is a legit hockey player.
I do and I want him to beat the shit out of him like he did with Kassian. Then you'll never hear of this again.
Xhekaj won’t beat Reaves clean . X is a good fighter but Reaves is on another level .
Hannibal
Fear the Weber
- Feb 11, 2007
- 10,826
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Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Not sure I like the Xhekaj and Barron pairing. I think they will get exposed on the road. We will see.
Our D core has so much potential but they are still very young. This is the area that will push us up or hold us back.
Our D core has so much potential but they are still very young. This is the area that will push us up or hold us back.
Nova_Scotia_Vees
Registered User
- Jun 1, 2004
- 592
- 96
Impossible to avoid fighting Reaves. Par for the course one might say.
I have faith that he will handle himself well win or lose.
I have faith that he will handle himself well win or lose.
They will be fine.....................that said wouldn't mind seeing the Sherriff and Struble do their thing on the 3rd pair also....
If Reaves loses to the Sherriff again, he might as well go be with the Marlies.
The guy is a joke of a player now.
At least Arber can play the NHL game.
It's a shame that thugs who can't play can still affect a game. Arber will hold his own but as a Dman he is far more valuable than a 5 minute per game goon.
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
I'm sure we will try various combo's on the 3rd pairing. Xhekaj seems to be focused more on the player protection area vs providing stable D. I have faith he figures that out over time as he mature more.
From the 3 (Xhekaj, Barron, Struble), I trust Struble the most in our own zone.
It's inevitable, but I am not excited to see it. Arber is tough but he does leave himself open to eat some shots. He's been built up so much that if he falls, we wll never hear the end of it. A nice tie up with no one getting hurt is fine by me.
HabsAddict
Registered User
X fighting goons creates more problem for him then actually fighting. It takes away his concentration of his defensive game.
I don't trust MSL not holding any fighting against X. He talks the big talk about team toughness but in reality, the only one that can take care of business is X and last time he sent him down when he took too many penalties.
So which is it? Sacrifice some of his skill/play to protect Hutson and CC or ignore them and play a safe, sound defensive game?
Tell you what, bring in a good to deal with goons and let X play the game.
I don't trust MSL not holding any fighting against X. He talks the big talk about team toughness but in reality, the only one that can take care of business is X and last time he sent him down when he took too many penalties.
So which is it? Sacrifice some of his skill/play to protect Hutson and CC or ignore them and play a safe, sound defensive game?
Tell you what, bring in a good to deal with goons and let X play the game.
HabsAddict
Registered User
I wish I knew him personally and push him to take boxing lessons.
I took martial arts and while I was good at that, a boxer almost took my head off. A few weeks later, I was in his gym and learning the basics....of how to defend/take a punch and picking my spots.
X is risking his hands and head long term by punching helmets and taking shots. Tough buys like Lucic knew how to box and used his skill very effectively on the ice. I don't want X to slur his speech before he hits his 70s.
FerrisRox
"Wanna go, Prettyboy?"
Why are you pretending that these are the only two options?
Also - Xhekaj didn't get sent down last December strictly because he was taking too many penalties. The issue was more about the kinds of penalties he was taking (he wasn't tripping guys trying to execute a poke check of hooking guys that otherwise would have gone in alone. A lot of his penalties were lazy or selfish and it was hurting the team.)
But moreso than the discipline issues, he was just making a lot of mistakes, particularly under pressure, and he didn't have the freedom to make mistakes at the NHL level, so he was sent to the AHL to iron out some issues, raise his confidence and work on his play without the puck (positionally, he was all over the place by the time he was sent down.)
LOL
I hope he's able to line up one of their Right Wingers with a perfectly timed bone cruncher.
You know the kind that alters a player's zone entry strategy for the rest of the evening.
HabsWhiteKnightLOL
Registered User
I hope he fight Reaves , Reaves is an overpaid goon and im sure Xhekaj can flat him out and then the leafs would atleast respect us on the physical aspect of the game
Matthews4Calder
Registered User
If you called that a fight. X jumps him which he is great at but how many punches did either land and pushing a guy into the back of a net is not winning a fight. Tired of all this talk about what happened to aline and what may happen. I hope they skate out to centre ice and drop and whoever wins wins.
I expect them to go tomorrow - for the simple reason that Reaves likes to run around, and Arber protects his teammates.
Reaves is considered the best fighter in the league, but he's not going to rag doll a 6'4, 240 lbs powder-keg. Probably one of those spinorama fights.
MSL should be dressing Pezzetta.
Too many small guys in the lineup tomorrow.
Reaves is considered the best fighter in the league, but he's not going to rag doll a 6'4, 240 lbs powder-keg. Probably one of those spinorama fights.
MSL should be dressing Pezzetta.
Too many small guys in the lineup tomorrow.
This! What laffs' and turds' fans won't admit to themselves is that X only activated after the scrubs in their lineups went after our top 6 guys. Don't hurt our players and you won't have to worry about Xhekaj. Seems simple enough,
Frankly, I couldn't give a shit whether they respect us or not. They should be more worried about the respect we extend to them. It’s laff-able to watch them pounding their chest over beating a rebuilding team, only to bow out of the playoffs in seven games year after year.
Team_Spirit
95% Elliotte
- Jul 3, 2002
- 39,003
- 20,468
Reaves is on the spit on yourself pod today and he looks like he got into cycling and stopped lifting he's gonna get beaten to a pulp.
Can't wait
