Check by Arber Xhekaj on Tim Stutzle: «He wanted to make him pay» - Jayden Struble
Arber Xhekaj hasn't been making friends since the beginning of camp, especially during the last two games, where he defended his teammates and sent messages to the other teams.
Martin St-Louis did not appreciate his action on Saturday night against Cédric Paré, but he defended his defenseman for his actions against Tim Stutzle on Tuesday night.
In direct competition with Jayden Struble for a spot in the lineup, Xhekaj needs to play hard, and that's his role on the team. For Struble, Xhekaj's hit on Stutzle was a clear message.
"Greig didn't answer for his actions, so something was going to happen," Struble added.
This is where we see the importance of a player like Arber Xhekaj in the lineup. He takes penalties sometimes, but he sends messages and ensures order is maintained in the team.
According to Martin St-Louis, this hit was not a response to the hit on Kirby Dach earlier in the game. According to Jayden Struble, it was exactly that.
We will probably never know, but one thing is certain: Arber Xhekaj did it well. He gave Tim Stutzle a good scare while avoiding a head hit.
It was his own stick that hit him in the face during the contact, so it was just bad luck. Arber Xhekaj was ejected from the game, but he did not receive any punishment from the NHL.
