This move doesn’t come as a shock.
After Thursday’s optional morning skate at the Bell Centre, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis announced that defenceman Jayden Struble would replace Arber Xhekaj in the lineup against the Nashville Predators (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS). St. Louis also said Jakub Dobes will start in goal.
Xhekaj had a team-low 10:00 of ice time during Tuesday night’s 5-4 overtime win over the Seattle Kraken at the Bell Centre and played only 2:06 after the second period.
Struble was a healthy scratch for the first four games.
Last season, Xhekaj and Struble also battled for playing time. Xhekaj was a healthy scratch for nine of the last 10 regular-season games and the first two playoff games against the Washington Capitals before replacing Struble for the last three games. Xhekaj played 70 games last season, posting 1-5-6 totals and a minus-13 differential, along with a team-high 118 penalty minutes, while averaging 14:37 of ice time. Struble played 56 games, posting 2-11-13 totals and was plus-2, along with 52 penalty minutes, while averaging 14:57 of ice time.
Xhekaj said he began training camp with a lot of confidence and was able to win the sixth defence spot to start the season.
“I didn’t really know what was going to happen and I still don’t know what’s going to happen with the lineup,” Xhekaj said at the end of training camp. “I just had good confidence and I think if I play well, things will take care of itself.
“I’ve learned I’ve got to be a good defender and I got to make sure guys are in front of me,” Xhekaj added. “As long as I play good defensively, a really strong defensive game and help the team and I make good plays in the O zone, that’s fine. I make pretty good passes here and there. I think all that other stuff is fine. Once I cement my defensive game, I think there’s no way I’ll be out of the lineup.”
St. Louis obviously wasn’t trusting Xhekaj’s defensive game and he also didn’t want Struble to be sitting in the press box for too many games. Xhekaj had one assist in the first four games and was plus-1 while averaging only 10:53 of ice time.
Xhekaj said at the end of training camp that he has a good relationship with St. Louis.
“He treats me like his son … he treats all of us like his kids and that’s kind of how he coaches us, too,” Xhekaj said. “I think we communicate well. It’s good.
“Each player has their own personality and certain guys you probably can’t treat harder than others,” Xhekaj added. “It’s all about how a guy can handle it with his personality. From me to the next guys, we’re completely different people. Maybe you can’t go and treat him the way you’re going to treat me. Every guy, you have to have a certain approach to their personality. I think that’s how Marty does it.”
Dobes will be making his second start of the season. He made 30 saves in a 5-1 win over the Red Wings in Detroit on Oct. 9, giving him a 1.00 goals-against average and a .968 save percentage. Samuel Montembeault has a 2-1 record with a 2.97 GAA and a .870 save percentage.
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