Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are set to play in the CH’s home opener

Jonathan Di Gregorio
Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are set to play in the CH’s home opener
Credit: Capture d'écran | Twitter TSN

On Tuesday night, the Canadiens will play their home opener against the Hurricanes, who eliminated the Montreal team in five games this spring in the Conference Finals.

Despite earning three points out of a possible four to start the season on the road, the Habs showed some concerning signs in the second period in Pittsburgh, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Martin St-Louis shake things up a bit by making some lineup changes.

However, I believe the Montreal club should give Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom the chance to play their first game of the season against Carolina.

The two young players should take the places of Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj.

Dach, with the exception of the play that led to Josh Anderson's goal in Toronto, has been fairly inconspicuous in the Habs' first two games.

Last night, Dach finished the game with a -2 plus/minus rating—the worst on his team—and has only two shots on goal in two games.

Let's not forget that the forward was also virtually invisible during the Habs' training camp, even though his spot on the roster is far from guaranteed.

For his part, Arber Xhekaj, who pairs with Jayden Struble, wasn't bad on the blue line with a +1 plus/minus after two games, but he wasn't a major factor.

The “Sheriff” looked particularly shaky last night on the Penguins' third goal.

Furthermore, he hasn't really provided the physical presence expected of him, with only two hits since the start of the season.

If Arber doesn't bring that physicality, I think the Habs are a better team with Engstrom in the lineup, and the club needs to play its best players if it wants to compete with the Stanley Cup champions.

Especially since Florian can provide that physical presence for the Canadiens as a forward without necessarily posing the same risk as his older brother on the blue line.

Finally, by playing these two young players at home, Martin St-Louis can take advantage of the final line change to put them on the ice in situations that work to their advantage.

In short, the Canadiens must give them playing time in the NHL if they want these two prospects to continue their development.


In a Nutshell

– Several Habs players were in attendance.

– The newcomers stood out.

– This is ridiculous.

– A costly mistake.

– A tough loss for the Eagles.

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