The Montreal Canadiens ended their losing streak decisive 5-1 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This victory extended their dominance over Columbus with their sixth straight regular season victory against them. Nicholas Suzuki‘s second-half goal was the winning goal, while contributions from Mike Matheson, Lucas Condotta, Jake EvansAnd Josh Anderson sealed the victory. Sam Montembeault was solid in front of goal, stopping 25 of 26 shots to secure his fifth career victory against the Blue Jackets.

In short, the Canadiens’ offense proved too strong for the Blue Jackets, who lost seven of their last eight games.

Arber Xhekaj‘s toughness shines in Montreal victory

While the spotlight was on Suzuki’s offense, Arber Xhekaj made his presence felt in other ways. The 23-year-old defender was involved early in the second period when he dropped the gloves with Columbus. Matthew Olivier. The fight was part of a sequence in which Xhekaj showed off his physical style of play, which has become a hallmark of his game.

But it wasn’t just his tenacity that stood out. Shortly after serving his major penalty for the fight, Xhekaj helped Nick Suzuki set up the match winner, recording his first point of the season. Beyond the assist, Xhekaj finished the game with two blocked shots, five penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating, solidifying his value at both ends of the ice.

Xhekaj’s physique is necessary for the Canadiens’ defense

Xhekaj’s combination of physicality and skill balances the Canadiens’ defense as they deal with roster changes and injuries. If David SavardXhekaj’s upper body injury is keeping him sidelined for longer, but Xhekaj could find himself with an even bigger role in the future, bringing both grit and depth to Montreal’s lineup.