Martin St-Louis said after the Canadiens' win in Toronto that he feels bad for Arber Xhekaj over a penalty call.
The Canadiens beat the Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday night, but the coach's postgame talk drifted to the defenseman's trip to the box. Xhekaj finished with 2 penalty minutes in 12:23 of ice time.
fei flagged the quote on X, noting that St-Louis said he doesn't think the call was a penalty.
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The full answer was a little more detailed. "I feel bad for Jocko. I just don't think it was that penalty," St-Louis said.
He was careful not to pile on the officials. "The refs have a tough job," he said, adding that they see things at a fast pace.
But the replay changed his view. St-Louis said he felt bad for Xhekaj because he looked like he was "just kind of finishing his play."
It's a measured way to disagree. No attack on the referees, no demand for an explanation, just a coach telling the room and the public that his player got a raw deal.
Does Xhekaj get the benefit of the doubt from referees?
That's the real question underneath the quote. Xhekaj has 32 penalty minutes through 16 games this season, and a player with that profile rarely gets a break on a close call.
Opinion: St-Louis is right to say something. When a player's reputation arrives before he does, someone has to point out that a late finish on a play isn't automatically a penalty.
The defenseman has been in the spotlight lately. We told you earlier about Xhekaj's hardest shot of the season, and he also dropped the gloves with his brother at practice, a story we covered in the Xhekaj brothers' practice scrap.
None of it hurt the Canadiens on Saturday. Alex Newhook scored twice, Chris Kreider scored the game-winning goal, and Jacob Fowler made 26 saves for the win. Xhekaj was a +1.
Montreal is 11-3-3 and sits second in the Atlantic Division, with an 8-0-2 record over its last 10. The Canadiens host the Wild on Tuesday, and Xhekaj will be back in the lineup conversation.
Quick hits
COLORADO AVALANCHE: Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 27 shots in a 4-0 win over the Red Wings. He moves into a tie for sixth on the franchise shutout list, passing Fiset.
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VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Brock Boeser pulled the Canucks within one late in Edmonton, but they still lost 4-2. That's five straight defeats, and the pressure is building.
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LOS ANGELES KINGS: Alex Laferriere told Zach Dooley the Kings weren't ready for Pittsburgh on Saturday night. He put the blame squarely on the players, which is the right tone.
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EDMONTON OILERS: Jason Gregor says Connor McDavid is up to 47 points in 18 games after the 4-2 win over the Canucks. Absurd pace.
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CAROLINA HURRICANES: The Hurricanes routed the Blackhawks 9-2 at Lenovo Center and tied their record for goals in a game since relocation. Chicago's night was ugly.
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Was Martin St-Louis right that Arber Xhekaj's penalty in Toronto shouldn't have been called?
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