Arber and Florian Xhekaj drop the gloves at Habs practice

Arber and Florian Xhekaj were "fighting" at Canadiens practice today, according to /r/Habs on X.

It is a friendly scrap between brothers, and it lands at a good time for Montreal. The Canadiens are 9-3-2, sitting second in the Atlantic Division, and they have won five straight.

The Habs account noted that the two Xhekajs were going at it during practice today.

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Nobody should read much into it. Brothers who share a dressing room are going to push each other, and a little chirping at practice usually means the group is comfortable.

Florian is 22, born in Hamilton, and was a fourth-round pick, 101st overall, by Montreal in 2023. He has had to earn every shift of his NHL time so far.

This season he has played 6 games with 1 goal and 1 assist, along with 4 penalty minutes. That PIM total shows he plays the physical game the family name suggests.

The timing fits a team that is humming. The Canadiens beat Pittsburgh 5-4 on Saturday night, and they are 8-1-1 over their last 10 games.

Why a loose practice suits a Canadiens team on a roll

Martin St-Louis has a room that is winning and still competing hard against itself on a regular day. Coaches want that. When two brothers are swinging at each other at practice, nobody is coasting.

The margins are not huge, either. Montreal's goal differential is +6, and Saturday's win was decided by a single goal. A team playing that close in games cannot afford soft practices.

What the sheet does not tell us is who comes out of the scrap with the upper hand, or whether either brother is in the lineup next. That belongs to St-Louis.

The Canadiens host Winnipeg on Tuesday, November 3, with the five-game winning streak on the line.

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