Canadiens' Arber Xhekaj: Logs first NHL point

Xhekaj had an assist, three hits and three blocked shots over 15:05 of ice time in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Washington.

Xhekaj's shot from the point was blocked in front of goalie Darcy Kuemper, but Nick Suzuki retrieved the puck and spun for a wraparound goal. Xhekaj's one of several young defensemen playing a larger-than-expected role. Initially, he's been good at taking the body, but it remains to be seen how much he can contribute offensively. Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic talked about the young defenders learning to jump-start the offense from the back end, an element that's been missing early due to Jeff Petry no longer being around and Mike Matheson's abdomen injury idling him for the next two months. Xhekaj showed some flashes on the rush against the Capitals, as did Jordan Harris, but until they become more proficient at that aspect of the game, Montreal's blueliners may not provide many points.