Canadiens HC Martin St. Louis makes his feelings known about Arber Xhekaj's recent performance

By ARJUN B

Modified Nov 21, 2024 07:40 GMT

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis expressed his thoughts on the recent performance of rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj in Wednesday's press conference.

Xhekaj has been inconsistent through the first part of the season. However, Xhekaj's performance in a 3-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday was a different story. He was good along the boards and he had 5 hits, including a big check on Zach Hyman that energized the team.

Speaking about Xhekaj's recent play, St. Louis expressed his satisfaction with the defenseman's progress.

"I think he's found a rhythm. We tried to give him a rhythm by playing him in consecutive games one after another. You can see that he's gaining confidence with these repetitions. His defensive responsibilities, he's a lot more consistent."

The coach believes that as Xhekaj continues to gain confidence, his puck-handling and overall decision-making will improve.

“I think in general,the more confidence he has there, the better his (puck) touches will be & he’ll be in a better place mentally. I think it’s a progression, it didn’t happen overnight. It’s a series of actions & he’s building his game.”

The Canadiens will face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday at home.

Canadiens HC Martin St. Louis on Patrik Laine's return time line

Martin St. Louis shared an update on forward Patrik Laine's availability, who sustained a left knee sprain during preseason and has been out of action since. Laine briefly practiced with the team on Wednesday, skating in a no-contact jersey for about 30 minutes.

According to St. Louis, Laine is progressing but there is still no set timetable for his return.

“I think he’s getting closer,” said Martin St-Louis.

Laine took part in some one-on-one drills with player development coach Adam Nicholas before joining the rest of the Canadiens for the last 15 minutes of practice. Goaltender Sam Montembeault, who faced Laine in the session, was impressed with what he saw.

“It’s fun to see him on the ice. I thought he was moving well too, he looks good.” Montembeault said.“He still has a great shot, so that’s good news…at the morning skate before the Oilers game, he helped me during warmup before practice.”

For now, Laine's status remains day-to-day as he works toward a return to game action.