The Montreal Canadiens delivered a thrilling performance last night at the Bell Centre, igniting excitement and hope throughout the city as they notched a crucial playoff victory. With the intensity of postseason hockey in full swing, the spotlight shone brightly on both established stars and emerging heroes.

Among the night’s biggest storylines was the much-anticipated playoff debut of Arber Xhekaj, whose presence and impact were immediately felt on the ice and in the locker room. The Canadiens’ captain, Nick Suzuki, didn’t hesitate to share his admiration for Xhekaj’s game-changing contributions, sending a clear message about the young defenseman’s value to the team.

As the series against the Washington Capitals heats up, the atmosphere in Montreal is electric, with fans, players, and coaches rallying behind a lineup that appears to be finding its stride at just the right moment. With the city’s hockey faithful buzzing and the team’s confidence growing, all eyes are now on what comes next for the Habs as they look to build on this momentum and continue their playoff journey.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

We experienced an incredible night yesterday, following a superb victory by the Montreal Canadiens over the Washington Capitals.

It was the first game of these 2025 playoffs for a certain Arber Xhekaj, and it was also the first win for Martin St-Louis’ squad.

The series now stands at 2-1, still in favor of Alex Ovechkin’s team.

Anyway, after the game, we got an interesting statement from captain Nick Suzuki, specifically about the Sheriff, and Cole Caufield’s face said it all.

Nick Suzuki Praises Arber Xhekaj

The captain was indeed very complimentary toward his tough teammate, and let’s just say Martin St-Louis doesn’t have much of a choice.. He’ll have to put Arber Xhekaj back in the lineup tomorrow night!

Xhekaj must be in the lineup tomorrow night!

Habs captain Nick Suzuki on Arber Xhekaj tonight:

“I thought he was great all night. Just told him to go out there and do your thing.

He’s a presence out there. He did his job tonight. He played a really valuable role in the win..”

– Via HabsOnReddit

Wow!

The message is very clear, and it’s worth noting that Cole Caufield (who was sitting right next to Suzuki during the press conference) was nodding in full agreement with every word from the captain.

The guys clearly want to see Xhekaj back in the lineup tomorrow night.

As for Xhekaj himself, he had this to say after the game:

Arber Xhekaj on his first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff experience:

“That was unbelievable. My heart was beating out of my chest before the game even started.

We’re on the bench after O Canada, my heart was pounding and I was like, I’ve got to calm down here. So, I’ve never experienced anything like that, and it was over the expectations I even had. Just this city is really special.”

– Arber Xhekaj, via Eric Engels

We love it!

We absolutely expect to see Xhekaj back in the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup tomorrow night, especially after these comments, and especially knowing that Martin St-Louis doesn’t like changing a winning lineup.