The Montreal Canadiens got exposed at the back Tuesday night, and the third pairing took much of the blame in a 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj were on the ice for two Carolina goals in just a little over nine minutes together, including the opener just over two minutes into the game and the tying goal about seven minutes later. That was a sharp reversal for a duo that had looked stable through the first two games of the season, when they were on for two goals for and none against.
The early damage set the tone in what became Montreal’s worst defensive outing in quite some time. The Canadiens allowed six goals in a hard-fought defeat to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes, and the third pair stood out as a clear weak spot.
The bigger issue may be what happens when Kaiden Guhle is ready to return. His absence is clearly being felt, and the numbers suggest Montreal may already have its answer for who comes out. Xhekaj looks like the likeliest odd man out, because the defensive results have simply been better with Struble.
Last season, Xhekaj and Guhle logged about 58 minutes together across 19 games and finished even, with two goals for and two against. Struble’s sample with Guhle was smaller - 17 minutes over 16 games - but that pair was on the ice for one goal for and none against.
There’s also the broader picture from Xhekaj’s season a year ago. He finished as Montreal’s worst defenseman by rating at minus-8, and no other Canadiens blueliner was close to him in that category.
Xhekaj’s physical style has made him a fan favorite, but the Canadiens may need to lean more toward clean, reliable minutes on the back end. That points toward Struble staying in the lineup when Guhle returns.
Montreal could also take a look at its sixth defense spot and slide Xhekaj out for someone like Adam Engstrom. Struble and Engstrom had limited time together last season, but they still posted a plus-one net rating while sharing the ice.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A New Lineup Concern Beyond Demidov
The Canadiens lineup picture has taken on a little more haze heading into a busy stretch against the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings. Demidov is already out with an injury, and Oliver Kapanen has also been missing from several practices, leaving head coach Martin St-Louis with more uncertainty than he likely wanted at this point in the schedule.
Kapanens absence has added another layer of intrigue because the Canadiens have not offered much to explain it, and the timing matters with games coming up quickly. St-Louis now has to keep sorting out combinations and depth options while trying to cover for Demidovs absence, and the clubs next few days may say a lot about how flexible the roster really is. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Found The Answer To A Big Top-Line Debate
Juraj Slafkovskys place in the Montreal Canadiens lineup has been one of the more interesting debates around the clubs recent stretch, and it took a twist when he was shifted onto the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The move came with Ivan Demidov sidelined, forcing the Canadiens to adjust their forward combinations and giving Slafkovsky a chance to show how he fits beside the teams two most established finishers.
The appeal is obvious: Slafkovskys size, puck protection and improving play can help drive a line that already has skill to burn, while the alternative is sending him back down to a second unit where he might carry more of the puck and the playmaking load. Montreal now has a decision to make about whether the experiment is a short-term fix or something worth keeping in place once the roster is back closer to full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Goalie Decision They Didn't Expect
A routine practice took an unwelcome turn for the Canadiens when Sam Montembeault went down with a non-contact right leg injury, and the team is expected to update his status later. For a club that had not exactly planned on revisiting its crease chart this way, the timing matters, especially with the goaltending picture still being shaped by what Jakub Dobe does with his opportunities.
Jacob Fowler is the name that naturally enters the conversation if Montreal needs help from Laval, where the young netminder has already made a strong impression in limited looks at both the NHL and AHL levels. If Montembeault is sidelined, the Canadiens could be looking at more than a short-term patch, with a possible extended evaluation in the crease depending on how Dobe holds up in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]