Arber Xhekaj shows improvement in first week with Laval Rocket

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LAVAL — If ever there is a hint of doubt in Arber Xhekaj about his return to the National Hockey League, the defenceman only has to knock on the door of Jean-François Houle, and there’s a good chance the head coach of the Laval Rocket will be reassuring.

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Xhekaj showed steady improvement between Wednesday’s matchup with the Belleville Senators — his first ever in the American Hockey League — and Saturday’s game, won by the Rocket 5-1 against the Hartford Wolf Pack in Place Bell.

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Against the Senators, Xhekaj posted a minus-2 and gave the impression he was still shaken by his demotion, which was announced two days earlier.

However, Xhekaj completed Friday and Saturday’s games against the Wolf Pack with a combined plus-1 rating, two assists and four shots on goal, including three on Saturday.

He also played a key role during a two-man penalty kill for 86 seconds midway through the third period on Saturday.

At this point in the game, the Rocket led 4-1, but the Wolf Pack, first in the AHL in power-play efficiency, could easily have come back and sowed doubt in a rival mired in a string of nine losses.

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Xhekaj and his teammates stalled the Wolf Pack’s offence, and goaltender Jakub Dobes said after the match he did not need to be in front of his net because his teammates had so effectively blocked shots.

Sitting in the dressing room after Saturday’s game, Xhekaj painted a positive picture of his progress over his three outings.

“For sure, the first match was difficult, mentally and physically, and it’s a big change because the game here is very different,” Xhekaj said.

“I had to make some adjustments, but I think after that I was able to acclimatize and I got better in those last two games.”

Asked where he thought he improved between Wednesday and Saturday, Xhekaj focused on his puck handling.

“In the first game, my passing and my timing weren’t quite there. I hadn’t played in three weeks. The important thing was to be able to touch the puck in order to be more effective,” he said.

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After the Rocket’s win on Saturday, Houle said Xhekaj had had a good week overall.

“He integrated very well into the group, he had good practices,” Houle said.

“In yesterday’s game (Friday), I thought there were a few too many turnovers, but it had been three or four weeks since he had played because of his injury. Today (Saturday), he played very well, he was involved, he won big physical battles, he made good passes, he went on the attack a couple of times.”

Houle also praised the defenceman’s general attitude since his arrival in Laval.

“You have to have a good attitude when you are taken down from the National League to the American League,” Houle said.

As he does every time the Canadiens send him a player, Houle gave himself a few days before sitting down and talking with Xhekaj.

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He used the same approach before the start of the season with young defender Logan Mailloux and forward Joel Armia.

Though Houle’s approach may be similar from one player to another, his messages vary depending on the player’s background.

“Armia played several years in the NHL, Xhekaj skipped a step. As I said on the first day (when Xhekaj showed up in Laval), it’s very rare to see an invited player arrive immediately in the National League. Usually, he spends a little time in the American League,” Houle said.

“For him, it’s not a big deal to come play in the American League, even if it’s just going to help him for longer in his career. Then, he will return to the National League. That’s what I told him: ‘You’re going to go back. Fine-tune your defensive game, work on your shortcomings and you’ll be fine.’ He was positive.”

Xhekaj succinctly summarized the essence of the message Houle delivered to him:

“I think, in general, he expects me to be a professional here and work on my game. That’s what I’m going to do.”

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