Arber Xhekaj has always said that fighting is a card in his game. But he would never define himself as a defender only with this quality.
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In his first real game since injuring his right shoulder Feb. 12, the result of a fight with Edmonton Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais, Xhekaj quickly tested his own body.
In the first period, number 72 rushed against the big Ryan Reaves who had just stamped Kaiden Guhle into the strip.
For Xhekaj, it was the type of game that fits his definition of task, that of protecting his teammates.
The day after this shootout loss in Toronto, Xhekaj looked back on his fight against one of the best fighters in the NHL.
“Reaves had just hit Ylo (Ylönen) and the fans liked it. When he hit Kaiden on the same presence and you could see the numbers on the back, I didn’t hesitate. I had to go there. »
“That’s the role I want to play. If an opponent does it against one of my teammates, I have to intervene. I want to be the player who protects his teammates. I wasn’t expecting a quick fight. But he fell against the net. I pushed him. »
A thankless role
In the eyes of Martin St-Louis, Xhekaj made the right decision even if he had to juggle only five defenders for long minutes after this incident.
“I understand his action,” said St-Louis. It was sad to lose him for 17 minutes. I never had that job. It’s hard to tell him that he can just do that at a specific time. He had this match in his head for a long time. He didn’t look for it, it came to him. I don’t blame him. »
“I was thinking about it during this meeting,” added Xhekaj. When the Leafs acquired him (Ryan Reaves), I looked at the schedule and quickly noticed we were playing in Toronto for the first game. »