Canadiens fan-favorite Arber Xhekaj goes ballistic on Leafs forward for injuring Patrik Laine

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj got in trouble today standing up for his teammate after a brutal hit lead to what looks like a serious injury.

Arber Xhekaj demolished Credric Pare today after the Leafs forward injured Patrik Laine. Laine was attempting to carry the puck into the Leafs zone when Pare collided with him in a knee-on-knee hit that left Laine in a serious amount of pain. Unfortunately for the Habs, Laine was not able to leave the ice under his own power and had to be helped off with assistance from the team's trainers.

The play looks particularly brutal from this angle, as we can see the collision from the Habs end of the ice. Pare appeared to stop up in an attempt to make a hit on Laine, but was unable to make any contact with his upper-body, only connecting with his knee. Naturally, Canadiens fans have called the play dirty, and it is hard to argue against that based on this look.

The following video shows us the entire fight as it played out. Clearly, Pare had no intention of dropping the gloves with Xhekaj, but the Canadiens defenseman was determined to make him pay for the hit on Laine anyways. As such, he grabbed Pare and just started wailing on him before the referees quickly blew the whistle and intervened. This is why Xhekaj got 27 penalty minutes as he got an instigator as well as a 10-minute misconduct, a game misconduct (10 minutes) and a fighting major.

Obviously, beating up on players who are not interested in dropping the gloves should not be encouraged. However, players should also expect some form of retaliation when they make dangerous hits like the one made on Laine. As such, Pare should have been prepared and willing to defend himself in the fight. His decision to turtle only makes him look more like a coward and does not help his chances of actually making the team. This grudge will likely carry over to the regular season as well, so be sure to tune in October 9th when the Habs start their season at home against Toronto.

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