Arber Xhekaj reacts to Jacob Trouba receiving no penalty for hit on Barron (Credit: IMAGN)

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has a message for Rangers captain Jacob Trouba after his hit on Justin Barron. The hit happened in the third period when the Rangers were leading 5–2.

Barron was carrying the puck when Trouba delivered a hard check that knocked him down. Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson quickly went after Trouba. Both players received penalties for fighting. Barron was helped off the ice and went to the trainers’ room.

“To throw a hit like that, I didn’t like to see it. I probably would have done something if I was in the lineup, but we’ll definitely remember it and see what happens next game,” Xhekaj said regarding the hit to Barron.

#Habs Arber Xhekaj on #NYR Trouba's hit on Justin Barron: "to throw a hit like that, I didn't like to see it and know I probably would have done something if I was in the line-up or addressed it for sure but we'll definitely remember it and see what happens next game."

— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) October 23, 2024

Trouba was not penalized during the game, but many Canadiens fans and players felt he should have. Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher said:

“They had a clean hit on the ice, we have a hit to the head from a player that’s had multiple, multiple warnings.”

Coach Martin St. Louis also questioned the legality of the hit, claiming the first contact was with Barron’s head.

After reviewing the play, the NHL said Trouba’s hit was a legal full-body check. The main contact was with Barron’s chest. If there was contact with his head, it was not deemed intentional. Trouba is known for his physical style of play and has been suspended twice before. Xhekaj’s comments suggest more action in the next game against Trouba.

Rangers dominated Arber Xhekaj’s Habs

The New York Rangers had a strong start against the Montreal Canadiens, winning 7–2 at Bell Centre. They scored four goals in the first period. Mika Zibanejad opened the scoring just 54 seconds into the game with a one-timer.

Jonny Brodzinski quickly made it 2–0 at 2:05, beating Montreal’s goalie off a pass from Adam Edstrom. Reilly Smith pushed the lead to 3–0 at 6:40 after taking the puck from Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson.

Filip Chytil scored a power-play goal at 11:05, bringing the score to 4–0. This goal led to Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault being replaced by Cayden Primeau. Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki scored twice, making it 4–1 and 4–2 with a five-hole shot and a backhand goal.

Despite Suzuki’s efforts, the Rangers regained control. Braden Schneider scored at 8:57 of the second period to make it 5–2. In the third period, Chytil scored his second goal at 15:41, and Kaapo Kakko added another goal at 16:19, finalizing the score at 7–2.

Ryan Lindgren returned from injury and played well, contributing to the team’s strong performance. Arber Xhekaj was a healthy scratch during the game.