Xhekaj had an assist, one shot on goal, two hits, one blocked shot and a five-minute major over 13:52 of ice time in Saturday's 5-4 shootout victory over the Flyers.
Mike Matheson made his season debut, so there was some juggling on the blue line, but Xhekaj, who wasn't part of the top three pairings at Friday's practice, got the starting nod over Jordan Harris. After the Flyers jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the first period, Xhekaj helped spark the comeback with a shot that resulted in a rebound goal for Christian Dvorak. It was the fifth point in 18 games for Xhekaj, who also fought for the second straight game when he squared off with Nicolas Deslauriers, a noted NHL heavyweight. Apparently, veteran tough guys are beginning to take notice of the rookie blueliner, who leads the league with 45 PIM.
