Canadiens turn to Xhekaj as fill-in for 'warrior' defenceman Carrier

TAMPA, Fla. — The Montreal Canadiens announced early on Tuesday that they’ll be without defenceman Alexandre Carrier for two to four weeks.

Carrier, who played just over 19 minutes in the Canadiens’ 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Sunday, has an upper-body injury. That he showed no sign of suffering one in a game in which he was hit hard six times — two times with bodychecks and four times with shots — speaks to what the Canadiens will be missing in his absence.

“He plays the game hard,” said partner Kaiden Guhle ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “He takes hits to make plays, he does whatever he can for the team, and it sucks to lose him for a bit here.”

The Canadiens will undoubtedly miss Carrier in several departments.

In 73 games this season, the 29-year-old has produced seven goals and 22 points. He’s averaged 19:05 per game while playing a key penalty killing role, and his 155 blocks are eighth-most in the NHL.

That’s 14 less than league leader Noah Dobson, who’s Montreal’s only other right-handed defenceman in the lineup.

Left-handed defenceman Arber Xhekaj will slide to the right of Guhle for Tuesday’s game after playing just over five minutes as a forward in Sunday’s win over Carolina.

Prior to that, Xhekaj, who’s averaged only 11:10 per game this season, was scratched from six straight contests.

It’s been an up-and-mostly-down season for the six-foot-four, 240-pound defenceman who was flying in training camp but has been used much more sporadically than anticipated since the puck dropped on meaningful games in October.

Now, with Carrier injured, opportunity knocks for Xhekaj, and Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis feels he can take advantage just by taking it one shift at a time.

“To me, it’s to stack up his actions throughout his shifts,” said St. Louis. “And whether it was a good shift or a bad shift, it’s what’s next. And don’t fluctuate mentally on either side of that, whether it was good or bad; just stay the course and focus on the next action. And I think when he does that he’s great. I think if he has some simplicity in his game, defends hard, I think he’s great.”

Xhekaj just wants to be the best version of himself, and he knows what he must focus on to do that.

“I think just in-your-face hockey,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m all over the ice and I have a good gap, just a tight enough gap to make those hits that I like to make. When I’m scrumming it up and chirping, and when I’m emotionally in the game, I think that’s when I’m the best version of myself.”

Even if Xhekaj presents as such, St. Louis will likely juggle the pairings on his blue line throughout Tuesday’s game.

It’s not out of the question the coach will eventually turn to rookie Adam Engstrom, too, at some point over the coming days.

The left-handed defenceman, who’s had a sensational season on the right side with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket, was recalled by the Canadiens late on Monday.

Engstrom, 22, debuted in a 4-3 Canadiens win over the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 26. In the 10 games he played before returning to Laval on Jan. 2, he averaged 12:32, playing only at five-on-five.

There’s a sense Engstrom is ready for more, though, after having racked up 10 goals and 34 points in 45 games with the Rocket this season.

Still, both he and Xhekaj can only combine to bring the elements that make Carrier valuable to the Canadiens.

“I feel with Carsy you know what you’re getting,” said St. Louis. “You’re going to get high compete level, high work ethic, unbelievable attitude, a great teammate. He’s a warrior.”

The Canadiens must forge on without him — first in the biggest game of their season, up against a Tampa team they’re chasing for first place in the Atlantic Division.

The Lightning hold that spot, up four points in the standings with nine games remaining. They, too, will be without a key defenceman in captain Victor Hedman, who’s on indefinite personal leave.

As for superstar forward Nikita Kucherov, who’s missed the last two games due to illness, chances are he’ll return to the Lightning lineup Tuesday after taking part in their morning skate.

Coach Jon Cooper, who addressed media during the Lightning skate, said he was “hopeful” Kucherov would play before officially labelling him “a game-time decision.”