WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Capitals quickly exploited their physical superiority over the Montreal Canadiens in this series. However, it seems Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis might wait at least another game before making a roster adjustment that could counter this advantage.
At six-foot-four and 240 pounds, Arber Xhekaj is a significant physical presence. A compelling argument exists that St. Louis should not delay deploying him in Game 2.
While the coach doesn`t need to drastically alter his lineup after a narrow 3-2 overtime loss in the opener, this particular change could help the Canadiens recover a physical element they clearly lacked against the Capitals on Monday.
Based on the lines and defense pairings during Montreal`s practice at Capital One Arena, it doesn`t appear St. Louis is opting for this change immediately.
However, he declined to confirm his plans on Tuesday.
“I have Xhekaj,” St. Louis stated. “It`s a card. I might play him. I don`t know yet. But it`s a good card to have.”
The Canadiens could have benefited from his presence as the Capitals relentlessly attacked them physically from the start in Game 1, landing eight of their total 42 hits within the first four minutes of the series.
During the game, Brendan Gallagher received a crosscheck to the mouth, while Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson were hit hard. Xhekaj could only watch from the press box as Jayden Struble played, receiving limited ice time in a defensive role.
The 24-year-old defenseman has been largely sidelined (in the press box for 10 out of the last 11 games) partly because he sometimes takes unnecessary risks, such as abandoning his defensive position for a hit, which led to a two-on-one scoring chance against in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 28.
