MONTREAL — The first rule of potentially surviving prison is to pick the biggest, baddest man in the yard and immediately challenge him to a fight.
If you survive that — and thatâ€s a big if — no one else will mess with you.
Seems to be the logic that Florian Xhekaj applied in deciding to drop his gloves with Philadelphia Flyers winger Nicolas Deslauriers in his first pre-season game with the Montreal Canadiens this year.
“I probably wouldnâ€t have fought that guy,†said his brother Arber.
Let the record show that Arber did fight that guy back in 2022, when he was 21 years old — the same age Florian is right now.
The intentions were also the same.
“Itâ€s good to get it over with,†Arber said, “and it also gives him confidence to know that he can hang in there.â€
Florian more than hung in there.
Arber, on the other hand, watched from the bench, fighting off a wave of anxiety as Deslauriers freed up his right hand.
“I was scared for a moment,†he said. “Iâ€ve got to realize that heâ€s all grown up now. Heâ€s my size, heâ€s not a little boy anymore.â€
Florian Xhekaj, whoâ€s now six-foot-four, 220 pounds, proved it by scoring a goal and surviving a fight with one of the most feared enforcers of the last decade.
He was also the first Xhekaj to make his mother, Simona, cry in the stands.
Cameras caught her shedding another tear when Arber scored the empty-net goal that sealed this 4-2 win over the Flyers.
One can only imagine how Simona felt after driving six hours from Hamilton to watch her two boys play their first-ever game together as members of the Canadiens.
The brothers both said the same thing about how their father, Jack, mustâ€ve felt missing it after he was unable to get off work to be there in person.
“Heâ€s going to be pissed all week,†said Arber.
He added that Jack would likely be up all night after all that excitement.
“It doesnâ€t happen often,†said Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. “I think just being a parent, having three boys, itâ€s a cool experience when I watch my two boys play each other in college. I can just imagine what itâ€s like for the two boys to play together in the NHL, in Montreal, and being far but close enough to be there. Itâ€s amazing. Itâ€s a special moment. And Iâ€m glad that they were able to share it together, but also share it with their family. And I think itâ€s a tight family, so itâ€s nice to see them have that experience.â€
It was a fun one for everyone, including us.
It also wrapped up 24 hours of observations we made through the first two pre-season games the Canadiens played, so letâ€s get to those.
The play was coming towards him at full speed — a two-on-one turned two-on-none by an ill-timed dive from Canadiens teammate Jake Evans — but he remained locked into the puck carrier until the very end. Fowler didnâ€t cheat, instead, he just waited to make his push.
That patience is the mark of a composed goaltender, one who knows relying solely on anticipation is a foolâ€s game against the best and most deceptive players in the world. And that patience is a rare quality for a 20-year-old playing his first minutes of NHL pre-season action to possess.
Heâ€s so composed,†said Brendan Gallagher after watching Fowler enter Mondayâ€s game cold off the bench to make 13 saves — including that 10-beller off Avery Hayes— and three more in the shootout to help the Canadiens secure a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Heâ€s one of those goalies that gives you a lot of confidence, because thereâ€s not a lot of movement. Heâ€s always in position, not a lot of loose pucks in front of his feet,†Gallagher continued. “Those are the guys you like to play in front of. Makes it look easy. Obviously, itâ€s a tough job that heâ€s got. But he makes it look easy and gives you a lot of confidence to play in front of him.â€
Thatâ€s what Fowler has been doing since well before getting drafted by the Canadiens with the 69th pick in 2023. The Floridian was a United States Hockey League MVP, Clark Cup champion and World Junior-A Challenge gold medalist.
And then he won a world junior championship and played two sensational seasons with Boston College before being named the NCAAâ€s best goaltender.
Fowler made his professional debut with the Laval Rocket at the end of last season, posting a .914 save percentage and winning two of three games he appeared in before going 3-3 in the playoffs. And he looked anything but uncomfortable in his NHL debut on Monday.
“What I like about him is heâ€s calm but not meek,†responded Marc Denis, when we asked the former-NHL-goaltender-turned-RDS-analyst what stands out to him about the kid. “Some guys can turn into victims with traffic and action in front of them, but he doesnâ€t shrink in those moments. He faces them.â€
Fowler explained why after the game.
“I think, for me, itâ€s easy to stay calm because I just love to play hockey,†he started. “I love to go out on the ice, whether itâ€s in front of 20,000 people or by myself. I think hockeyâ€s just what makes me calm. A lot of people get wrapped up into different things, but Iâ€m one to let the game come to me and just be a hockey player.â€
Thatâ€s what Fowler did on that overtime rush.
Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but this kid understands what will eventually make his dream come true.
After punching up Samuel Poulin in Mondayâ€s game, Davidson explained how his development into an edgy, tough customer began as a youngster with the Western Hockey Leagueâ€s Seattle Thunderbirds.
“I have to give credit to my junior coach, Matt Oâ€Dette,†Davidson said. “I was 16 when he taught me how to play in that fourth-line role. Growing up, I never had to do anything like that. Almost didnâ€t make the team as a 16-year-old, but I did what I had to do just to get in the lineup. You have to get noticed every night, and thereâ€s no easy way to do it. Hopefully, goals and points come, but thatâ€s something easy you can do to get noticed every night — stick on puck, go hit someone on the forecheck, make it easier on your linemates to play — and thatâ€s what has made me who I am today and how I play. I give a lot of credit to him for just teaching me how to play in those gritty roles.â€
The Edmonton native can play, too.
Josh Anderson was saying after the game that Gallagher, whoâ€s also from Edmonton, told him he loves Davidsonâ€s game. He said Gallagher told him to watch out for him.
Anderson did and was blown away by what Davidson did with his fists.
“I loved that,†he said.
“I thought it was a great fight. There was no hesitation,†he said. “I think heâ€s a gamer. Ever since Iâ€ve seen him play, I feel heâ€s a gamer. Heâ€ll do whatever the game needs him to do. I think heâ€s hungry, he wants to play at this level, heâ€ll do whatever, and he actually has the scoring touch too. Weâ€ve seen it in years past, obviously, in Laval.â€
Davidson piled up 35 goals and 61 points in 107 games with the Rocket over the last two seasons.
And he played with the type of bite the Canadiens could use more of.
“I feel as a team, I love our skill level and everything. And I think the way we play together, I love that too. But we need to add some sandpaper to our game a little bit, and itâ€s not necessarily just (fighting),†said St. Louis. “Itâ€s not necessarily just one guy, or two guys, itâ€s collectively, as a pack. Can we be a little tougher to play against? Not just strategically, but physically?â€
Weâ€d bet on Davidson being a player who helps them do that down the line.
The 23-year-old is tracking in that direction.
— David Reinbacher didnâ€t get an assist on Florian Xhekajâ€s goal to make it 2-0 against the Flyers, but he started the whole play by rushing the puck out of harmâ€s way and out of Montrealâ€s zone.
The type of subtle, effective play Reinbacherâ€s game is made of.
The fifth overall pick in 2023 was burned by speedster Anthony Richard for a goal.
But another controlled breakout from Reinbacher helped Nick Suzuki make the score 3-1 against Philadelphia.
Between him, Xhekaj, Davidson, Fowler, Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen, Adam Engstrom and Joshua Roy, the Canadiens have a lot of players knocking on the NHL door.
At least one of them will break through to start the season. The rest will fight for chances to be called up while likely fueling Laval to another successful season.
— Montrealâ€s top line of Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky took 53 seconds to connect for a goal in pre-season. This will be their fourth season playing together, and it shows.
Tuesdayâ€s game was childâ€s play for them, as they combined for two goals and a 17-1 edge in shot attempts against the Flyers.
— Lane Hutson attempted 3.6 shots per game in his Calder Trophy-winning season. He had four through the first 40 minutes and eight by the end of Tuesdayâ€s game.
We didnâ€t get a chance to speak with him, but it’s probably not a stretch to assume heâ€ll be trying to shoot more this season.
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