The Montreal Canadiens dominated the Edmonton Oilers at even strength on Saturday night, but found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Their penalty killing — or lack thereof — was a big reason for the loss, but there was a lot to like from that game outside of the final score.
One of those things was the performance of rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj, who I’d argue should remain in the lineup over others moving forward.
True though it may be that he took a costly tripping penalty at the end of the first period, he was very effective in his return to the lineup.