Canadiens call up Florian Xhekaj from AHL’s Laval Rocket
After getting run over by the Washington Capitals and Tom Wilson Thursday night at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens called up forward Florian Xhekaj from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Friday evening.
The 6-foot-4, 204-pound centre had 2-2-4 totals and 44 penalty minutes in 16 games with the Rocket this season. Last season, as an AHL rookie, Xhekaj had 24-11-35 totals in 69 games with the Rocket, along with a league-leading 175 penalty minutes.
The Capitals pounded the Canadiens 8-4 Thursday night at the Bell Centre. A turning point was when 6-foot-4, 225-pound Tom Wilson flattened the Canadiens’ Jake Evans, who is 6-foot and 190 pounds, with a big hit early in the second period. Seconds later, the Capitals scored to go up 3-1.
Evans didn’t come out of the dressing room for the third period and didn’t practise with his teammates Friday in Brossard. The Canadiens said it was a therapy day for Evans and that they would have an update on his condition Saturday. Evans has a history of concussions.
Wilson wasn’t penalized for the hit.
“You obviously got to know when somebody’s out there that can do those things,” the Canadiens’ Cole Caufield said about Wilson after practice Friday. “I thought he took a lot of pretty hard strides there and got Jake in a vulnerable position. Hockey’s hockey and I think maybe it was a little bit high. But the game goes on.”
There was no retaliation toward Wilson by the Canadiens after the hit, which was predatory. The Canadiens outhit the Capitals 20-19 in the game but none of their hits were on Wilson, who seemed to intimidate them.
“It’s tough … he’s a good player,” Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson, who is 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, said about Wilson. “He plays a physical brand. We can’t step down from the game that they’re playing. I think we got to rise to it and it’s got to come not just from our big guys, it’s got to come from everyone — myself included. I think just not being comfortable taking a back seat to that type of play. We’ve done it last year … we can play that physical type of game, too.”
So can Xhekaj, who will likely make his NHL debut Saturday at the Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports), joining his older brother Arber in the Canadiens’ lineup.
Florian Xhekaj had a strong training camp and was among the last cuts by the Canadiens. Head coach Martin St. Louis has said the team needs more sandpaper and Xhekaj will bring that.
“He plays a heavy game, but he also can fight,” St. Louis said about Xhekaj during training camp. “When I talk about sandpaper, I don’t necessarily think about we need guys that can fight. But we need guys that can bring a physical presence and if there is moments like that those guys can totally handle it. But I don’t judge Flo just on that, just like Arber. I think it’s a bonus if they can do that, but can they actually play the game that’s in front of them and be a contributor to the five men on the ice and all the actions you have to take as a hockey player, on and off the puck on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively?
“He plays with a lot of sandpaper, but he can also fight.”
