January 24, 2025

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Arber Xhekaj Sidelined: Montreal Canadiens Put Defenseman on Injured Reserve

The Montreal Canadiens announced that Arber Xhekaj, their defenseman, has been placed on the injured reserve list due to an upper-body injury. Xhekaj missed the Canadiens’ 3-2 shootout victory over the Sharks last Friday. He sustained the injury during a game against the Vegas Golden Knights, injuring his left shoulder as a result of a body check from Ivan Barbashev. The team is prioritizing his full recovery, while Jordan Harris will fill in for Xhekaj in the lineup.

The Canadiens have been facing a challenging season, with a 9-9-2 record placing them in seventh in the Atlantic Division. Their offensive and defensive performance needs improvement, with an average of 2.89 goals scored per game and 3.53 goals allowed per game. Their power play success rate is under 20% and the penalty kill rate is 72.8%. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have been leading the team’s offense, while goalie Sam Montembeault has maintained a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average per game.

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