There seems to be a portion of people around the Montreal Canadiens who have a need that must be fulfilled, no matter how well the team is playing. It's like an addiction, an uncontrollable urge to find something negative, a scapegoat or two to get their fix. They go through withdrawal if they can't find somebody to criticize.
They'll hide behind the excuse that it's just an opinion, throw around selective fancy stats or the ever-reliable eye test to justify their position, and then, like a pit bull with a grip on someone's leg, refuse to let go. They'll shake their heads, pull harder and convince themselves they're doing everybody a favour.
This season, four players have particularly fit that bill. Kirby Dach has been disappointing since the Canadiens acquired him on the draft floor in 2022. Injuries have played a significant part, and while he's shown improvement lately, he's still a favourite target. Mike Matheson has been a regular punching bag for the criticism crowd over the past couple of seasons. Then there's young centreman Oliver Kapanen, who apparently isn't entitled to enjoy his 22-goal rookie season without somebody questioning his every move.
Yes, that's how ridiculous things can get in Montreal.
But there's a fourth player I want to focus on because, in his case, the problem extends beyond a few disgruntled fans. Arber Xhekaj has become an easy target for NHL referees, certain members of the media and a segment of the Canadiens fan base. Even Martin St-Louis's handling of him has occasionally raised questions about whether the big defenceman was being given a fair opportunity.
Let's start with the officials.
It's not always about penalties being called against Xhekaj. Sometimes it's about what isn't called against the opposition. It's about singling him out in scrums, overlooking what happens to his teammates and seemingly finding a reason to put number 72 in the penalty box.
Saturday night in Toronto provided another example.
With Montreal leading 3-0 in the third period, a scrum developed involving Xhekaj and Jake McCabe. Meanwhile, Kirby Dach was taking punches from Toronto players, including having his helmet knocked off. The result? Xhekaj received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while the other participants escaped punishment.
Seriously? What exactly are we watching here? Is there a separate rulebook for players wearing number 72? If so, perhaps somebody should distribute a copy to the rest of the league because the referees appear to be working from one.
And this isn't an isolated incident.
Remember Philadelphia in October 2024? Sean Couturier dropped his gloves with Xhekaj, Nick Seeler joined the altercation, and somehow Xhekaj was the only player sent to the penalty box. Even former NHL referee Dave Jackson acknowledged afterward that either Philadelphia player could have received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
There are several such incidents since he's joined the NHL, yet the same player somehow ends up wearing the penalty.
At some point, this stops being a coincidence and starts becoming an embarrassing pattern that deserves an explanation.
But the officials aren't the only ones who seem to have a problem with Xhekaj. Some fans and media personalities have developed such a fixation that he doesn't even have to do anything wrong to become the explanation for something going wrong, even generating a response from Xhekaj himself.
Take Tuesday's game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Montreal was leading 4-0 midway through the third period, but anybody actually watching the game could see what was happening. The Canadiens were being outplayed, and it wasn't particularly close. Winnipeg was controlling the action, with Jacob Fowler doing his best impression of a brick wall to keep the scoreboard from reflecting what was happening on the ice.
Then Arber Xhekaj fought Tyrel Bauer, followed a few minutes later by his younger brother Florian taking on Adam Lowry. Suddenly, a segment of the fan base and some media personalities decided the brothers had changed the momentum of the game and were responsible for what followed.
Seriously?
The Jets already had the momentum before either fight. They finished with a 47-22 advantage in shots and an astonishing 87-47 edge in shot attempts. Martin St-Louis himself acknowledged that Montreal was winning but wasn't outplaying Winnipeg.
But apparently, none of that mattered. The Xhekaj brothers had to be responsible. Never mind what had been happening for the previous 50 minutes. Never mind that Fowler was the main reason Montreal still had a four-goal lead. Find something to blame Arber for. If Florian happens to be involved, even better. Two for the price of one.
When you're so determined to blame somebody that you have to rewrite the sequence of events to make your argument work, you've got a problem. That's not analysis. That's an addiction looking for its next fix.
Now, before somebody accuses me of wearing rose-coloured Canadiens glasses, let's get something straight. Xhekaj isn't innocent every time he gets involved in something. He's made mistakes, taken unnecessary penalties and occasionally needs to exercise better judgement. Being a tough guy doesn't give you a free pass.
But neither does having a reputation give referees, fans or members of the media a free pass to treat you differently.
Criticize his play when it's warranted. Question his decisions when he deserves it. That's part of the game. But when your first instinct is to blame him regardless of what actually happened, you're no longer offering meaningful analysis. You're feeding an addiction.
The Canadiens don't need Xhekaj to be perfect. They need him to play his role, protect his teammates when necessary, make better decisions and contribute to the hockey club.
What they don't need is a player who has to look over his shoulder every time a scrum develops, wondering whether he'll be the only one punished for something involving half a dozen players. Nor do they need him to become the default explanation whenever somebody wants to find fault with the team.
The Sheriff doesn't need special treatment. He just needs the same treatment as everybody else.
Apparently, that's asking too much.
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