Montreal Canadiens enforcer Arber Xhekaj provided more than just physicality on Saturday—he gave the Habs a much-needed spark.
Midway through the second period, with Montreal already down 2-0, Xhekaj dropped the gloves with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Keaton Middleton in response to a scuffle with Josh Anderson.
Anderson wasn't interested in entering a fight against his foe, so Xhekaj decided to take matters into his own hands. The result was a one-sided brawl, with Xhekaj landing several clean rights before sending Middleton to the ice.
Officials had no option other than stepping in before further damage could be done with Xhekaj forcing Middleton into a near submission.
“He steps up against heavyweight and does a great,” said Avs forward Jack Drury of Middleton. “It’s energizing.”
But it was Montreal who fed off the moment.
After falling down 3–0 just a few minutes after the fight, the Habs started to crawl back with goals from Juraj Slafkovsky (two of them), Joshua Roy, and ultimately Christian Dvorak to force overtime.
Colorado ended up snatching a 5–4 win in the shootout—Brock Nelson made the game-winning 2-1 goal in the SO.
Despite the loss, the night belonged to Xhekaj, whose TKO-style dismantling of Middleton not only rallied the bench but highlighted why the 23-year-old blueliner remains one of the league’s most impactful players in his role.
The Habs' effort allowed the Canadiens to escape with a "loser point," and the result solidified Montreal’s position in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
Montreal now sits one point (75) ahead of the New York Rangers (74) for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, and the Canadiens have two games in hand on the Rangers.
The Canadiens will face the Blues on Tuesday with St. Louis currently in the same exact position as the Habs, only in the Western Conference standings.
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