Albert Einstein. The name ring a bell? He’s widely regarded as a pretty intelligent guy. You know what he once said? Something profound—so much so that it’s been proven true time and again: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis has said on a few occasions that he won’t take advice from someone he wouldn’t personally seek advice from. But perhaps—just perhaps—Einstein is someone he should consider listening to, even just a little.
St-Louis has many admirable qualities, and those calling for his head are off base. That said, there are also those who act as though everything he touches turns to gold, that every decision he makes is the right one. But the truth is, every person on this earth makes mistakes and sometimes makes the wrong call.
So let’s take off the rose-coloured glasses for a moment. Without slipping into a hater mentality, let’s admit that St-Louis—and the team as a whole—has mishandled the young goaltending situation over time. Let’s also set aside any bias, for or against, and acknowledge that Arber Xhekaj is held to a much, much shorter leash than anyone else on the roster (save for maybe Michael Pezzetta) when it comes to paying the price for mistakes on the ice.
Against a team like the Washington Capitals—one of the biggest and most physical teams in the NHL—it makes very little sense to dress Jayden Struble over “The Sheriff.” Defenders of St-Louis’ decision point to Struble’s point totals, but the Canadiens already have Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, and even Kaiden Guhle who can contribute offensively from the back end. What no one else brings, however, is what Xhekaj does: accountability, respect, and protection for the Habs’ younger and smaller players.
At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, with hands like shovels and strength reminiscent of Shea Weber, Xhekaj is one of the most feared and effective physical players in the entire NHL. And contrary to what some believe, this mastodon can skate—and he can play. He brings a unique element desperately needed for playoff hockey.
It’s not just time to bring him into the lineup—it’s past time. He should have been there from day one. So Marty… would you consider taking a bit of advice from Mr. Einstein?
I hate to say it but fans complaining about the officiating is useless. The @NHL muzzles its coaches and players risking $25k fines. They have no incentive to fix the issue. It's our own fault. They only way they'll listen is if we hit them where it hurts: $$$. #GoHabsGo #Habs
— JD Lagrange (@jdlagrange.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T13:30:15.336Z
Call-Up
Now, this next part might not sit well with those who believe grit and size don’t matter in today’s game, so consider yourself warned. And truthfully, it may not even be possible at this point—if I’m not mistaken, the Canadiens already submitted their first-round roster to the NHL. But still…
Maybe the Canadiens should’ve sent Oliver Kapanen to Laval and called up a player who truly earned the shot: Florian Xhekaj. A center who can also play wing, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound forward scored 24 goals in 69 games with Laval this season and finished with a +10 rating. On top of that, he racked up 175 penalty minutes—proof that he brings the same edge, the same grit, and the same team-first mentality as his brother.
Now imagine this: Flo and Arber hitting the ice for warmups, playing a playoff game together. Do they have a third brother and take us back to the movie Slap Shot with the Hanson brothers? No, not quite—but the energy they’d bring to the lineup would be electric.
I know, I know… enough with the daydreaming. But here’s hoping St-Louis swallows his pride and realizes his team needs an energy boost—and that playing 15–20 minutes of safe, structured hockey just won’t cut it in the playoffs against a bigger, tougher team like the Capitals.
Make a change… or Albert Einstein might just haunt you all summer long.
