Arber Xhekaj Opens Up on His Journey After Being a Healthy Scratch
Photo credit: John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
The Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj opened up on his journey after he was a healthy scratch earlier this season.
It seems the Montreal Canadiens have been playing much better in the past four games since Patrik Laine joined the team after a preseason injury.
The second overall pick in 2016 scored four points, including three goals, in his first four stars, but most importantly, admitted this was the most fun he had in years:
The team is still at the last spot in the Atlantic Division but is only three points away from the fifth rank and five away from the fourth.
Outside of Laine, other players are standing up, and one of them is Arber Xhekaj.
Xhekaj, 23, was limited to 25 games this season after head coach Martin St. Louis decided to keep him off the lineup a few times earlier this year.
However, he took part in all the games since October 31, after proving to his coach that he could do what was expected of him, including having a physical impact without getting additional consequences from the DoPS.
In a recent interview on TSN 690, Xhekaj opened up the step back he took to find his rhythm, and how he simply had to keep his game simple and focus on defending.
"I've honestly just taken a step back & blended a little bit. I just kinda work on my game slowly. You don't need to stand out, you don't need to do anything crazy. You keep it simple & just defend. I'm trying to build that floor of defending.
Who knows how high my ceiling can get in this league?»
«Right now I'm just blending in & just playing my game, playing solid for the team & obviously just being a good defender out there."
Who knows how high my ceiling can get in this league?»
«Right now I'm just blending in & just playing my game, playing solid for the team & obviously just being a good defender out there."
With Lane Hutson doing all the flashy things, Xhekaj's priority must be defending, and he has done just that in the past month.
If he can keep the rhythm, he could prove to the Canadiens' organization that he deserves a long-term, full-time role in the NHL.
Xhekaj and the Canadiens will be back on the ice tonight to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Montreal.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 12 | 47 ANSWERS Arber Xhekaj Opens Up on His Journey After Being a Healthy Scratch Do you think Arber Xhekaj deserves a full-time top-four role in the Montreal Canadiens' defensive unit? | ||
| Yes | 15 | 31.9 % |
| No | 32 | 68.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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