The Canadiens will undoubtedly miss Carrier in several departments.<\/p>\n
In 73 games this season, the 29-year-old has produced seven goals and 22 points. He\u2019s averaged 19:05 per game while playing a key penalty killing role, and his 155 blocks are eighth-most in the NHL.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s 14 less than league leader Noah Dobson, who\u2019s Montreal\u2019s only other right-handed defenceman in the lineup.<\/p>\n
Left-handed defenceman Arber Xhekaj<\/a> will slide to the right of Guhle for Tuesday\u2019s game after playing just over five minutes as a forward in Sunday\u2019s win over Carolina.<\/p>\n Prior to that, Xhekaj, who\u2019s averaged only 11:10 per game this season, was scratched from six straight contests.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, it\u2019s to stack up his actions throughout his shifts,\u201d said St. Louis. \u201cAnd whether it was a good shift or a bad shift, it\u2019s what\u2019s next. And don\u2019t 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\u2019s great. I think if he has some simplicity in his game, defends hard, I think he\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n Xhekaj just wants to be the best version of himself, and he knows what he must focus on to do that.<\/p>\n \u201cI think just in-your-face hockey,\u201d the 25-year-old said. \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019m scrumming it up and chirping, and when I\u2019m emotionally in the game, I think that\u2019s when I\u2019m the best version of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if Xhekaj presents as such, St. Louis will likely juggle the pairings on his blue line throughout Tuesday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
![\"32](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/32THOUGHTS_500X500_ICON_V2-500x360.jpg\"){kind=icon}
32 Thoughts: The Podcast<\/p>\n