Photo of Arber Xhekaj

Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL

On a night when the Colorado Avalanche controlled the game from start to finish, several key Canadiens players really struggled.

It almost felt like the Habs were always half a second late. And when that happens, it’s never a good sign. Colorado’s speed hit immediately, and Martin St-Louis’ team never managed to keep up. Even the zone exits looked heavy, hesitant, and easy for the Avalanche to anticipate.

Anthony Martineau was very clear in his analysis of Arber Xhekaj’s play, writing:

“I didn’t like how Arber Xhekaj handled himself on the two goals.

He keeps backing up forever and leaves a massive gap between the puck carrier and himself on the first one, when he could/should have held his blue line.

He loses his man on the second.

I await your anger.”

– Anthony Martineau

In my opinion, it’s an honest summary of a game where everything seemed to go wrong.

Arber Xhekaj’s mistakes and an overall effort that wasn’t enough

Jakub Dobes, for his part, was left alone all night. He faced shots without real support, and although it’s the kind of game a young goaltender wants to forget quickly, he had almost no chance. Alex Carrier’s three-game road trip has been rough, as he’s now been on the ice for a team-worst five even-strength goals against.

It was one of those nights where a goalie feels abandoned, especially when every turnover becomes a scoring chance for the other team. Anthony Martineau also noted that Xhekaj backed up too much on the first two goals, which opened a huge door for Colorado.

The only small bright spot was Juraj Slafkovsky. His play on Ivan Demidov’s goal was really nice to see – proof that his talent can shine even in a game that was lost early.

And despite this entire forgettable night, the Canadiens return from the West with 4 points out of 6. I think any fan would have taken that before the trip, even if the way it happened leaves a strange taste. It’s disappointing, but it’s pretty much the only thing to hold onto for comfort.

And honestly, I think a slap like this can sometimes get everyone back on track for what’s ahead.

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Arber Xhekaj under fire after a tough night in the Canadiens’ loss to Colorado

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