Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis made his stance on Arber Xhekaj pretty clear on the eve of the team’s game against the Nashville Predators: Xhekaj stays, Jayden Struble comes out.
St-Louis scratched Struble for tonight’s matchup and kept Xhekaj in the lineup, even though the numbers might have pointed the other way on paper. Struble has an even plus-minus this season, while Xhekaj sits at minus-1. Still, the coach said the choice wasn’t driven by one player having clearly earned a seat in the press box.
“It’s not an easy decision. I think Xhekaj is an NHL defenseman.
Struble is an NHL defenseman, too. But we can't leave Engstrom sitting in the press box for too long, either.
So tonight, it's Struble. Is there really a specific reason?
Not really. Someone has to come out of the lineup.
So we're taking Struble out tonight, and we'll see what happens.”
That answer tells you plenty. St-Louis clearly likes what he’s seen from Xhekaj to start the season, and he also wants to keep Engstrom in the mix rather than letting him linger too long without playing. The result is a blue-line decision that leaves Struble on the outside looking in for now.
There’s more going on here than one scratch, though. Montreal has allowed 14 goals in its first three games, which works out to 4.7 per game, and the defense has already come under the microscope. Michael Matheson is minus-3, Noah Dobson is minus-2, and the group as a whole has some sorting out to do.
Xhekaj’s standing around the league adds another layer. David Pagnotta reported that the Philadelphia Flyers asked about him over the summer, a sign that other teams see value in him too.
So tonight’s game against the Predators at 7 p.m. carries a little extra weight for Engstrom, who gets the chance to make his case and show St-Louis he belongs in the lineup. The Canadiens will then turn around and host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
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Canadiens Make A Desperate Lineup Shakeup After Back-To-Back Losses
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Jakub Dobes will back up Fowler in goal while Samuel Montembeault remains day-to-day, leaving the Canadiens to juggle a situation they would much rather have settled. Jayden Struble was scratched to create room for Engstrom, a sign that the club is still searching for answers as it looks to clean up its own end. [Read more 🡒]