Why The Habs Need Arber Xhekaj and Sammy Blais VS. Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens will be in Boston to take on the Bruins on Saturday night, and after the way Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres went, the Habs should ensure that both defenseman Arber Xhekaj and forward Sammy Blais are in their lineup. While they won’t add scoring to the game, they will provide a much-needed physical presence that will allow more skilled players more room to make their plays on the ice.
Should the #GoHabsGo have played Arber Xhekaj last night against the Buffalo Sabres?
Pierre McGuire: “I was shocked that Arber wasn’t in the lineup”#thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro @BWildeMTL pic.twitter.com/Ql2kBn4lYm
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) January 23, 2026
Now, Xhekaj and Blais won’t stop the Habs’ skilled players from getting hit, but they will retaliate and not let a big hit go unpunished. On the other hand, Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Zucker’s big hit on Kaiden Guhle didn’t get a single response from Habs players. This allowed the Sabres’ biggest players to feel as if they could take liberties on the Canadiens’ smaller guys, which gave them momentum early on. Who knows if the Sabres would even get a 3-0 lead if Xhekaj had been in the lineup instead of Jayden Struble?
Canadiens are playing much better in the 2nd, but it’s clear as day they need more sandpaper in the lineup. There is absolutely no excuse for Xhekaj not being in this game. Blais probably should have played too.
— HabsLinks (@HabsLinks) January 23, 2026
What would have likely happened would have been the next time Xhekaj was on the ice against Zucker, he would have either seen him get into a fight with the Sabres forward or throw a big hit of his own to show Zucker that he must pay the price for his borderline dirty hit where he charged at Guhle. Luckily, Guhle was ok, and no injuries came of it, but nobody going after Zucker to do anything is an issue that shows the opposing team that they can continue to run around and throw big hits without facing retribution.
Sammy Blais and Arber Xhekaj sitting in the box upstairs watching the Sabres finish every hit on Habs players
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 23, 2026
Even Sammy Blais could have made a difference by being a big physical forward who could throw hits against the Sabres, although his presence wouldn’t have made nearly the same impact as Xhekaj, considering he isn’t that likely to fight Zucker in that situation. Nonetheless, while the Sabres have big, imposing forwards, they aren’t known for it as much as the Bruins are, and as a result, the Habs will need guys on the ice that can counter guys like Mark Kastelic and Tanner Jeannot at forward. With that being said, Blais and Josh Anderson are likely the two best players to match those tough Bruins players on Saturday night.
However, no matter what, Xhekaj is the best guy on the entire team to fit in the role of taking care of business if any craziness occurs throughout the game. Struble has also shown that he can be a tough presence against the Bruins in the past, but he doesn’t bring nearly as much of an intimidating presence as Xhekaj, who is one of the league’s best heavyweight fighters in the modern NHL.
XHEKAJ AND ZADOROV SKATED ALL THE WAY TO CENTER ICE FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT TILT 💪🍿 pic.twitter.com/nXMXG39NiP
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 24, 2025
In both games against the Bruins this season, there have been 2 fights to break out in the first period, which is something that can easily happen again on Saturday night in Boston. Therefore, the Habs should make sure to add some sandpaper to their lineup, which is something that both Xhekaj and Blais can bring. By default, it would likely mean that Struble and Joe Veleno exit the lineup. Both can bring a physical presence, but not to the same level that both Xhekaj and Blais bring.
Do you think that the Habs should have Xhekaj and Blais in the lineup on Saturday or should they prepare differently?
