The Canadiens walked away with a 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night, but the result only tells part of the story. At the Bell Centre, Montreal got a preseason game that had a little of everything: skill, physicality, fights, and enough action to keep the crowd locked in right through Cole Caufield’s overtime winner.
One of the biggest takeaways came from the second line, where Martin St-Louis opened preseason with Juraj Slafkovsky and got exactly the kind of response he was looking for. The three young forwards looked comfortable together almost immediately, moving with an ease that suggested they had never really stopped playing as a unit.
Their chemistry stood out shift after shift, with shots coming from all over the ice. They finished with seven, and that total could have climbed higher if not for a few posts.
They were easily Montreal’s most noticeable line.
“I know the way he plays; I know what he’s going to do. I feel that’s why it’s working between him and me, because I anticipate what he’s going to do. I think we know where we are; even if sometimes we throw a blind pass or something, we know what moments, which areas, where we are on the ice…I think it’s pretty good, but I feel like there’s so much room to improve; we feel we’re only going to get better.”
On the blue line, Arber Xhekaj had a night that fit his reputation, for better and worse. With Kaiden Guhle injured to begin the season, there’s a spot available, and Xhekaj made a strong physical case for himself with eight hits.
He threw his weight around all game and looked determined to make an impression. But there were also moments when that aggression pulled him out of position, and Toronto was able to take advantage.
That showed up on the Leafs’ first power-play goal, when Xhekaj finished a check in the corner but then allowed his man to beat him to the net. Dobes made the save, but the sequence kept unraveling seconds later when Xhekaj pushed his man into the goalie and the netminder lost his stick.
He never got it back before Toronto scored. The same kind of issue surfaced again on Toronto’s go-ahead goal in the second period, when Xhekaj’s assignment slipped free behind the net to create the play.
Still, St-Louis gave him plenty of rope. Xhekaj logged 21:31, worked on the penalty kill, and even stayed out there for overtime shorthanded work. The coach was pleased with the overall package.
He played to his identity; he played a physical game; he got some reps on the PK; he was good in puck possession. It was a good game for him; he played to his DNA.
He’s still a young player. Even though he’s got a lot of NHL experience for his age, the game may have slowed down for him too; it may be easier to make the right reads.
Stress normally diminishes for a young player as they gain experience.
St-Louis also addressed the possibility of pairing Xhekaj with Jayden Struble, and he made clear he likes the fit.
I don’t mind Xhako on the right side; they’re two guys that play a physical game. If Guhles can’t start the season, it’s a scenario that maybe those two play together; some familiarity there, they’ve done it last year. We’ll keep evaluating, but I liked what I saw.
Xhekaj also showed a more assertive side with the puck, firing five shots and getting two through to the net. He said afterward that he needs to shoot more and can’t always be looking to pass. That kind of mindset could help his case if he keeps leaning into it.
He also had one especially personal moment after his brother’s game in Toronto, which he described simply and with obvious pride: it was sick. I was fired up after watching it and texted him right away; it was a sick fight!
Montreal’s top line was quieter than the Slafkovsky-Kapanen-Demidov group, but it still had its moments. Chris Kreider, still settling into the Canadiens’ way of doing things, showed signs of getting there.
His best play may have been a sharp cross-zone pass to Caufield, who one-timed the puck off the post. A little rust made sense.
It’s only preseason, and that has to be said. But if this 4-3 overtime win is any indication, Canadiens fans should have plenty to enjoy once the games start counting. Montreal’s next stop comes Monday against the Ottawa Senators in Trois-Rivières.
In Other News...
Patrik Laine's Market Just Took A Turn Canadiens Fans Should Watch
Patrik Laines free agency has settled into a strange holding pattern, and the longer it goes on, the more the landscape around him seems to shift. The winger played only five games last season because of injury and has seen his production dip since arriving in Montreal, yet he still has not signed anywhere after the market opened, leaving plenty of room for teams to keep circling.
Pierre LeBrun has now suggested another club could be in the mix, and the ripple effect matters for Canadiens fans because Laines next move is still very much part of Montreals recent story. Several teams have reportedly shown interest already, including Ottawa, the Islanders, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Florida, Toronto and Los Angeles, and the uncertainty only grows as the market searches for a fit. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A New Way To Add Size And Toughness
Chris Kreiders arrival gives Montreal a little more size and edge in a place where those traits are always valued, and coach Martin St. Louis made clear he sees more than just a body coming into camp. St. Louis, who knows Kreider well from their time together in New York, praised the wingers skill and the way he can fit into different roles, which matters for a Canadiens roster still looking to round out its identity as camp gets moving.
Arber Xhekaj only adds to the intrigue. The defenseman said hes open to playing forward, a position he briefly tried last season, and that kind of flexibility can matter on a team trying to find more toughness and versatility without sacrificing structure. With Florian Xhekaj also in camp, Montreal suddenly has a few different ways to think about how it wants to use its bigger bodies, even if the exact answers are still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Florian Xhekaj Just Forced A Bigger Canadiens Roster Debate
Florian Xhekaj has already spent enough of Canadiens camp around established NHL players to suggest the organization is taking a closer look at him, and his physical growth has only added to the intrigue. The younger Xhekaj has arrived in better shape and with a more imposing frame, giving Montreal another intriguing option as it sorts through the usual preseason questions about who can handle a bigger role and who still needs more seasoning.
The conversation got louder in the preseason game against Toronto, when Xhekaj dropped the gloves and added some edge to a roster fight that already had plenty of attention on it. With Arber Xhekaj also back in the Canadiens organization on a one-year deal, the family angle only sharpens the debate around whether Florian is simply bringing energy and toughness to camp or forcing the front office to think harder about how soon he can fit into the mix. [Read more 🡒]