Montreal Canadiens

"I’ll remember this": Arber Xhekaj issues a warning
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
"I’ll remember this": Arber Xhekaj issues a warning
Credit: Getty Images

Things are going well for Kirby Dach right now.

I don't know if the forward is feeling the pressure from players pushing for a spot and the competition heating up due to the large number of forwards on the team, but he's been playing better lately.

That's great.

But no matter how well he plays, the guy is part of the team. And seeing him take a beating on Saturday didn't sit well with Arber Xhekaj.

That infamous third-period play in Toronto, where only Xhekaj was penalized, is still the talk of the town.

This morning, after practice, Xhekaj was asked to comment on the fact that he was the only player penalized for the incident. Does he think that's fair?

He initially responded diplomatically, saying that anyone can make mistakes. But later, he revealed what really bothered him.

"I'm more upset about the hits on Kirby. Two players on one guy—the other guy hit him without his glove on, which I didn't see until the end.

I got fined last year for hitting a guy in the face—with a glove on. That makes me angry. I'm going to remember that one." – Arber Xhekaj

Division matchups are rare, which means Xhekaj will have time to cool off before crossing swords again with the Maple Leafs. That will be on December 26.

Will this stick in his mind? Most likely, yes.

In Brief

– That makes sense.

– Well done.

– Why would he be anywhere else?

– Jake Evans is being evaluated.

– Note:

– Stay tuned for MLB updates.