WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Capitals quickly demonstrated their physical superiority over the Montreal Canadiens in the series opener, taking just seconds to establish their advantage. However, it appears coach Martin St. Louis may wait at least one more game before making a lineup adjustment to potentially counter this factor.
At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Arber Xhekaj is a formidable presence and a strong argument can be made that St. Louis should not delay inserting him for Game 2.
While the coach isn`t obligated to overhaul the roster after a narrow 3-2 overtime loss in the first game, this particular move could help the Canadiens reclaim a physical edge that was noticeably absent against the Capitals on Monday.
Based on the unchanged forward lines and defensive pairings during Montreal`s practice at Capital One Arena, it doesn`t currently appear St. Louis plans to make this change immediately.
However, he declined to confirm his intentions on Tuesday.
St. Louis commented, “I have Xhekaj. He`s a card [to play]. I might use him. I don`t know yet. But he`s a good one to have available.”
The Canadiens could have benefited from Xhekaj`s presence during the Capitals` aggressive start in Game 1. Washington delivered eight of their total 42 hits within the first four minutes of the game.
During this period, Brendan Gallagher was crosschecked in the mouth, while Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson were physically overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Xhekaj watched from the press box as Jayden Struble received limited ice time in a similar role.
The reason the 24-year-old defenseman was scratched is his tendency to take unnecessary risks, often abandoning his defensive position for hits. This habit, which resulted in a two-on-one goal against in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 28, has kept him in the press box for 10 of the previous 11 games.
Tristan Blackwood