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Overview of Habs prospects: Florian Xhekaj scores a superb goal

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Overview of Habs prospects: Florian Xhekaj scores a superb goal
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

While everyone is excited and impressed by Juraj Slafkovsky’s recent performances with the Montreal Canadiens, the club’s other young prospects are also making their mark, albeit outside the National Hockey League.

Without further ado, here are the performances of the Habs prospects that caught the eye this weekend.

Florian Xhekaj – Left wing – age 19

Arber’s brother is enjoying a fine OHL season with the Brantford Bulldogs (39 points, 21 goals and 18 assists, in 47 games).

Florian Xhekaj has established himself this year as one of the team’s most important players, whereas last season he was more of a support/depth forward.

Xhekaj is currently blossoming and showing great promise night after night.

In fact, after getting his 20ᵉ goal of the season on Friday, Xhekaj added to it last night with a superb solo goal.

Xhekaj showed all his speed and talent on the sequence, as he outflanked one opponent before beating another.

In short, Xhekaj is progressing well in the OHL, and we could very well see him one day joining his brother in Montreal in a support role on a fourth trio.

His robust style of play and offensive touch would be great assets to have on a fourth trio.

Owen Beck – Center – 20 years old

Since being traded to the Saginaw Spirit, Habs prospect Owen Beck has been on fire.

He was already having a great season with the Peterborough Petes, but it’s really since his arrival in Saginaw that Beck has exploded.

Good for him that this time, the trade has paid off, given that last season, his transition from Mississauga to Peterborough had been difficult.

In short, before Friday, Beck had 17 points in 12 games with Saginaw, but in two games (Friday and Saturday), Beck added six points, making it 23 in 14 games.

Yesterday, he picked up a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Erie Otters.

Here’s his goal.

And on Friday, he had two goals and an assist in a 5-4 overtime win over the Owen Sound Attack and Habs prospect Cédrick Guindon.

Here’s Beck’s second goal of the game.

In short, things are going well for Beck, who has a total of 53 points (24 goals and 29 assists) in 39 games.

He could very well make the jump to the pros next season.

Watch for him at Habs training camp to see if he can carve out a place for himself in Montreal.

Other notable performances by Habs hopefuls

OHL :

  • Cédrick Guindon scored three goals in two games (Friday and Saturday), bringing his point total this season to 50 (23 goals and 27 assists) in 51 games.
  • Filip Mesar picked up an assist Friday in the Kitchener Rangers’ 5-4 loss to the Kingston Frontenacs. Things haven’t been going so well lately for Mesar, who has just three points in his last seven games. Overall this season, he has 38 points (16 goals and 22 assists) in 29 games.
NCAA:

  • Lane Hutson had two assists Friday in Boston University’s 7-1 win over Merrimack University. He now has 35 points (10 goals and 25 assists) in 25 games.
  • Jacob Fowler recorded a 6-1 win on Friday, turning aside 30 of 31 shots against the University of New Hampshire.

Here’s the rest of Friday’s performance list.

And for Saturday.


In a gust

– Obviously not to be missed today.

– Very funny.

– One to watch between now and the March 8 trade deadline.

– Read on.

– A tough defeat for Canada, who must now hope for a Spanish victory over Hungary to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

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