Montreal Canadien’s defenseman, Arber Xhekaj, faces a lot of criticism again after another controversial incident that took place during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It happened during the second round of the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 4.

Arber made a dangerous cross-check to the back of Konsta Helenius’ head, a Buffalo rookie, during an intense match.

On the play, Helenius drove to the net before Jack Quinn finished off a rebound chance. After review, the officials overturned the goal by ruling in favor of a Montreal Canadiens goalie interference challenge.

Meanwhile, away from the crease battle, Xhekaj cross-checked Helenius in the back of the head as he skated by.

Although the officials missed the moment, the play was in real time. This incident quickly gained a lot of attention and led to online discussion about the possible action taken by the NHL.

Just one day earlier to this incident, Xhekaj had already been fined $3,385.42, which was the maximum amount allowed under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement that directly goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

He took part in a physical altercation at the end of game 3, where he roughed Sabres forward Sam Carrick. This happened right after Montreal’s dominant 6-2 victory over Buffalo. 

Even with a small role in the team and having played the fewest minutes of his career, Xhekaj found himself in the middle of another controversy again.

Despite going undrafted, the player worked hard to make his way into the NHL and eventually signed with Montreal in 2021.

The player does have a tough style, which has raised a lot of questions around his discipline. During his junior hockey days, he was suspended multiple times for similar incidents.

Sabres Capitalize to Tie the Series

While the controversy surrounding Xhekaj became a major discussion after the game, Buffalo earned a 3-2 win to even the playoff series at 2-2.

Zach Benson scored the game-winning goal in the third period, while Tage Thompson recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Sabres in offense. 

Josh Doan added two assists, and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves in the total game.

For Montreal, Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield each scored, but the Canadiens struggled to get back on their form after Buffalo strongly defended in the final period. 

The game remained intense throughout, with both teams continuing to play a highly tense series.

But as the series headed into Game 5, Montreal scored a 6-3 win, taking the playoff score to a 3-2 lead, while they continue to work around Xhekaj’s conduct.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar