Player Discussion Arber Xhekaj: The Sheriff

[Mrb1p]

You think they do it cause they're Facebook friends? Lol

There's tons of examples of people who hire people they know and have success.

Yes, and is this one an example of that?

 

[417]

Yes, and is this one an example of that?

not currently, no obviously, but this was never going to be an over night success.

You're a smart guy, pretty sure you knew that coming into this season.

 

[CHwest]

Habs have longed for a player like this and he obviously needs more time to develop but the coaches and alot of fans are clearly not in his corner. We deserve to lose him.

Send to Laval and away from this coach

Just because fans are not as rabid about him sitting out doesn't mean they are not in his corner.

 

[CHwest]

I do and it's such a low bar. Why do you lower the bar ? The Habs have some of the most money in sports. 500 billion investment that quadrupled in what, 15 years ? Deep, deep pockets.

Theres money to hire the absolute best coaches, best managers, best scouts, best everything. Yet were fine with a crazy fox hole with people that hire old friends because what, they're super competent ? Or because theyre throwing their friends a bone ?

Appeal to tradition at best.

Lowering the bar is insisting coaches and GMs speak the language, limiting yourself to 5% of the pool so to speak. Most advocate for that.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

Precisely why he's rotating in and out with Barron/Struble.

Barron brings literally nothing to the table ATM. Struble is... Ok at best.

Yet I kept hearing about how they were going to intimidate and pound them into dust.

Teams have pounded us into dust when Xhekaj wasn't in the lineup this year in addition to beating us on the scoreboard. That's the point.

Well they kinda did, just not in a way Xhekaj was going to be able to prevent.

The team plays bigger and other teams take fewer liberties when he's around IMO.

Its not a strawman, the only thing you talked about in the post I quoted was about the Habs getting run and intimidated.

You brought up the notion of them losing games, so I commented on it. I don't actually mind them losing. I'm patient with the rebuild and they don't currently have the horses to be good.

Speaking of strawmen...

It isn't a strawman. Our team is soft AF and all people ever do about it when we get run is whine. We get one guy on the team that actually acts as a deterrent sometimes and people whine and bitch because some other Johnny 6th Defenseman that also sucks defensively (when EVERYONE sucks defensively) isn't getting playing time. It's tiresome.

Hockey is results-based. They need to play Arber or add toughness to this team some other way. I can stand them losing. Watching them lose and get humiliated physically is not acceptable.

 

[HabsAddict]

I hate the word "systemic" because how a certain political group uses it...but we have systemic defensive issues.

The 4th Kraken goal...

X was trying to pass to Mailman (24)...but Mailman was nowhere near where he needed to be to receive the pass. Mailman should of gone to the boards but was afraid of moving away because 22 was in the slot.

For Mailman to move into position on the boards, Dvo (28 ) has to move back and cover 22.

While X screwed up the pass, 60% on him, two other also failed to properly execute their positions. 40% was on Dvo for failing to cover the man closest to him, 22, who came into the slot and scored.

This is what I call systemic defensive failure.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I hate the word "systemic" because how a certain political group uses it...but we have systemic defensive issues.

The 4th Kraken goal...

X was trying to pass to Mailman (24)...but Mailman was nowhere near where he needed to be to receive the pass. Mailman should of gone to the boards but was afraid of moving away because 22 was in the slot.

For Mailman to move into position on the boards, Dvo (28 ) has to move back and cover 22.

While X screwed up the pass, 60% on him, two other also failed to properly execute their positions. 40% was on Dvo for failing to cover the man closest to him, 22, who came into the slot and scored.

This is what I call systemic defensive failure.
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This was entirely on Xhekaj as it was a brain dead play. He sent a weak back hand pass into an area that he knew the F1 was headed to. Dvorak was not supposed to be covering for an idiotic decision like this as he was instead providing puck support for Xhekaj.

Arber obviously should have either protected the puck against the F2 and then try to kick it out to Kapanen or Dvorak or move it directly to Dvorak. You are faulting Dvorak as though he was defending an opposition possession which he was not.

 

[RabbleMasterBlaster]

Well... Hard for a guy to learn to play better if you get scratched for one mistake. Wouldn't have expected MSL to put a player in the dog house like that. But I'd replace Robidas way before MSL. Who tf thought giving a guy an island is named after such an important role...

 

[Andy]

Well... Hard for a guy to learn to play better if you get scratched for one mistake.

he makes several a game

 

[BLONG7]

he makes several a game

So does Matheson................

We need The Sheriff in the lineup.........we are way too soff.
Simplify his game, and work with him.....we need him, and maybe sit Struble who has pretty awful also...

 

[Hannibal]

he makes several a game

And so does Barron and the golden boy Struble.

 

[Rapala]

The main problem we have currently is our mistakes are compounded by other mistakes.
Everyone makes mistakes and yes some make several mistakes but that in itself shouldn't be leading to the breakdowns we see all over the place.

Arber Xhekaj plays his best hockey when he takes ownership and controls his space not when he's running around trying to play man to man bullshit.
My frickin' blue line my frickin' corner and my frickin net front period.
If we aren't going to allow him to play his best hockey we are now shoving a square peg into a round hole.

Personally I hate man to man particularly with the roster we have.
But this Hybrid shit is way worse with far too many assignments getting messed up simultaneously.

 

[417]

Barron brings literally nothing to the table ATM. Struble is... Ok at best.

Hence why they are rotating.

Teams have pounded us into dust when Xhekaj wasn't in the lineup this year in addition to beating us on the scoreboard. That's the point.

Teams have pounded us into dust when Xhekaj WAS in the lineup too.
Or maybe you don't recall that whole Laine injury incident?

The team plays bigger and other teams take fewer liberties when he's around IMO.

That's just a feeling, not a fact.

He makes YOU FEEL more secure, you have to be kidding to think other teams give a damn if he's there or not.

You brought up the notion of them losing games, so I commented on it. I don't actually mind them losing. I'm patient with the rebuild and they don't currently have the horses to be good.

We in agreement there.

It isn't a strawman. Our team is soft AF and all people ever do about it when we get run is whine. We get one guy on the team that actually acts as a deterrent sometimes and people whine and bitch because some other Johnny 6th Defenseman that also sucks defensively (when EVERYONE sucks defensively) isn't getting playing time. It's tiresome.

Hockey is results-based. They need to play Arber or add toughness to this team some other way. I can stand them losing. Watching them lose and get humiliated physically is not acceptable.

They need to be tougher as a team, he's part of that, but he hasn't been playing tough, so that explains why he's not playing.

 

[teamfirst]

They need to be tougher as a team, he's part of that, but he hasn't been playing tough, so that explains why he's not playing.

Why tho, the guy has been playing tough all his hockey life and suddenly he isn't....almost like someone told him that he needs to change his style

 

[417]

Why tho, the guy has been playing tough all his hockey life and suddenly he isn't....almost like someone told him that he needs to change his style

You can believe in fairy tales, I don’t.

MSL knows exactly what type of player Xhekaj can be, but if he can't even play physical (which he's not) and be reliable defensively (which he ain't), then he's going to be in and out of the lineup just like Barron and Struble are.

We need to stop this bleeding heart routine just cause Xhekaj is cool.

And being objective about Xhekaj’a play IS NOT an endorsement of the play of others either.

 

[teamfirst]

You can believe in fairy tales, I don’t.

MSL knows exactly what type of player Xhekaj can be, but if he can't even play physical (which he's not) and be reliable defensively (which he ain't), then he's going to be in and out of the lineup just like Barron and Struble are.

We need to stop this bleeding heart routine just cause Xhekaj is cool.

And being objective about Xhekaj’a play IS NOT an endorsement of the play of others either.

Oh i'm not saying he is playing well, but i see a tentative Xhekaj on the ice since he came back from Laval last year obviously i can't be sure they hold him back but he look's like a guy afraid of doing the wrong thing out there.

Xhekaj is a little bit like Nilan back in the day's, he can give a lot of energy to the team and his teammates , but you need to let him play his game and live with the good and the bad just like they did with Nilan back then.

By the way, i couldn't careless if he is cool or not, i'm watching hockey games not téléréalité

 

[Andy]

And so does Barron and the golden boy Struble.

And that is why they are rotating

 

[417]

Oh i'm not saying he is playing well, but i see a tentative Xhekaj on the ice since he came back from Laval last year obviously i can't be sure they hold him back but he look's like a guy afraid of doing the wrong thing out there.

i see the same thing you're seeing and that explains why he's not playing.

Because otherwise, you’d have to convince yourself that the coaching staff is instructing him to play this way, which doesn't make much sense.

Xhekaj is a little bit like Nilan back in the day's, he can give a lot of energy to the team and his teammates , but you need to let him play his game and live with the good and the bad just like they did with Nilan back then.

Nilan wasn't playing defence…Xhekaj has to learn to be more selective because they need him on the ice to do more than just run around trying to take guys heads off.

In his defense, he's probably always been able to just out muscle and intimidate guys, but this is the NHL, despite claims to the contrary, no one is scared of him (not talking about fighting one on one).

By the way, i couldn't careless if he is cool or not, i'm watching hockey games not téléréalité

Fair.

 

[RabbleMasterBlaster]

he makes several a game

So does Matheson. And he's never getting better. And neither is Anderson, or Dvorak. So what?? Like what does your response achieve other than spam?

 

[417]

So does Matheson. And he's never getting better. And neither is Anderson, or Dvorak. So what?? Like what does your response achieve other than spam?

Mike Matheson, whether you rate him or not, isn't going to get healthy scratched when he makes mistakes.

Furthermore, there are different mistakes.

Making mistakes because you're trying to make things happen (I.e. Hutson) is one thing.

Making mistakes because you're tentative and trying to play NOT to make mistakes (I.e. Xhekaj) is a whole other thing.

 

[Habs]

screw you Marty you loser, destroy our only physical dman with a 105mph shot, just keep him sitting and watch your tiny little Hutson get destroyed.

 

[Justin11]

From what I read here Xhekaj = Makar

 

[417]

As predicted, he's back in the lineup tonight.

Lol such a dramatic fanbase its hilarious

 

[HabsAddict]

This was entirely on Xhekaj as it was a brain dead play. He sent a weak back hand pass into an area that he knew the F1 was headed to. Dvorak was not supposed to be covering for an idiotic decision like this as he was instead providing puck support for Xhekaj.

Arber obviously should have either protected the puck against the F2 and then try to kick it out to Kapanen or Dvorak or move it directly to Dvorak. You are faulting Dvorak as though he was defending an opposition possession which he was not.

There is no question that it was a flubbed pass by X but...there is no question that the center has to cover the slot. It's his job.

Every single goal is a product of a mistake or multiple mistakes.

We do multiples routinely...

 

[overlords]

No, its a foxhole just like Bergevin.

Gorton hired someone he was friends with.

Hughes hired people he was friends with and ex-clients. (A huge no-no.)

Martin Saint-Louis, Hughes ex-client, hired his ex high school coach.


Its f***ing horrible. Nepotism 101.

This is pretty much business 101 everywhere, good or bad.