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Arber Xhekaj, the carrot-eating pony: Maxim Lapierre would have liked to see him free
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Arber Xhekaj, the carrot-eating pony: Maxim Lapierre would have liked to see him free
Credit: The Canadiens have a fine product on their hands: Arber Xhekaj. He’s a really tough defenseman who can make his teammates grow a few inches on the ice. But it’s not always easy for him with the Habs. After all, he’s quite popular with the fans, but he’s not the most reliable defensively. And sometimes, […]
The Canadiens have a fine product on their hands: Arber Xhekaj. He’s a really tough defenseman who can make his teammates grow a few inches on the ice.

But it’s not always easy for him with the Habs.

After all, he’s quite popular with the fans, but he’s not the most reliable defensively. And sometimes, seeing a defender struggle and spend many minutes in the dungeon isn’t ideal.

As a result, he finished the regular season on the sidelines and started the playoffs in the stands. He eventually replaced Jayden Struble for the last three games of the series against Washington.

But he didn’t make much of an impact.

And this situation angers Maxim Lapierre, who spoke about it during the second intermission of yesterday’s game. It was 3-0 then, and the CH needed an electroshock – which is something the Sheriff can provide.

But clearly, he feels Xhekaj is handcuffed and unnatural. He likened him to a racehorse that’s been slowed down to become a pony that does nothing but eat carrots.

And clearly, Antoine Roussel didn’t seem to think Lapierre was wrong.

Of course, if you ask Xhekaj to be a defenseman who only plays defensively, you can’t take advantage of his full potential. Xhekaj has to be “hard to play against” to make a difference.

Could putting him on the fourth line next year be the answer?

This summer, the Habs will have to decide whether they want to use him to his full potential or not. After all, if #72 continues to be used the way he is right now, it won’t get the club anywhere.


in a row

– To watch in Ontario.

– Who will win?

– No suspension related to the Jets v. Blues game.

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