Martin St-Louis didn’t hide his frustration after Arber Xhekaj was the only player penalized in a scrum that helped turn Montreal’s 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto into a tense finish.
The Canadiens were up 3-0 when the sequence unfolded. After Xhekaj made contact with Jake McCabe in front of the net, the situation escalated quickly. Kirby Dach ended up facing three Toronto players and absorbing several heavy punches, yet Xhekaj was the lone player sent off.
Toronto made the most of it. William Nylander scored on the power play, his 11th goal in 18 games this season, and the Leafs suddenly had life. Gavin McKenna then cut the lead to 3-2 with his sixth goal of the year, and Toronto had scored twice in under two minutes.
St-Louis didn’t agree with the call. He said he understands officials have to make quick decisions, but after seeing the replays, he couldn’t find fault with Xhekaj. In his view, the defenseman was just finishing his play.
“ The whole group felt like we were playing a really good game. It’s an unfortunate play.
I feel bad for Jacko, I just don’t think it was that penalty. The refs have a tough job, but when you look at the replay, I just felt bad for him.”
For Canadiens fans, the moment had an uncomfortable echo. Last Tuesday, Montreal had blown a 4-0 lead against the Jets before losing in overtime, part of the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history (57:21). In that game, Arber and Florian Xhekaj dropped the gloves in the third period, and Winnipeg players later said those fights gave them a boost.
This time, Montreal steadied itself. Captain Nick Suzuki also disagreed with the ruling, noting that the Canadiens had three players involved in the scrum while Toronto had five. In his view, both sides should have been assessed matching penalties.
The Canadiens did get through most of the kill, but Nylander’s goal gave Toronto the opening it needed. Zachary Bolduc answered with a beautiful one-timer on the power play to restore Montreal’s two-goal cushion.
Jacob Fowler helped keep the night from slipping away, stopping 26 of 28 shots. After what happened against Winnipeg, Montreal wasn’t about to waste another strong outing from its young goalie.
St-Louis had already addressed the Xhekaj brothers’ decision to fight after the loss to the Jets, and this time his team handled the pressure better. The lead held, the game stayed in Montreal’s hands, and the coach made it clear he was standing behind his player.
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