Insult used to be added to damage for the Montreal Canadiens when defenseman Arber Xhekaj left Thursday’s 6-5 defeat in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body factor.
The 22-year-old Xhekaj, 2nd on Montreal in hits and atop the NHL’s penalty mins charts, discovered himself at the receiving finish of a giant take a look at when towering Russian ahead Ivan Barbashev bodied him into the forums throughout the second one duration. He didn’t go back to the competition.
The shoulder-to-shoulder collision ended an efficient evening for ‘Wifi,’ who notched a +3 ranking and 2 hits in simply over 10 mins of ice time. The Knights, spurred on by way of Barbashev’s physicality, would erase deficits of 3-1 and 4-3 en path to profitable a charming street contest.
Jack Eichel and Mark Stone cashed in to increase the Vegas’ result in 6-4 throughout Brendan Gallagher’s late-game double minor, however a Justin Barron laser within the ultimate minute arrange a livid end. The Stanley Cup champions held directly to drop Montreal’s house file to 5-6.
The Habs will limp out in their winless three-game homestand and into the lions’ den this is TD Lawn, the place they are going to write the newest bankruptcy in their storied competition with the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Canadiens trainer Martin St. Louis will hope Xhekaj is to be had for the lean in opposition to the Jap Convention-leading B’s. The defenseman’s physicality is particularly fitted to this kind of emotional contests that most often occur when Boston and Montreal conflict.
