Arber Xhekaj has already issued a serious invitation and it's going to be a great game for the Habs against the Panthers

Arber Xhekaj is literally becoming the new darling of Canadiens fans.

Not only is the rookie defenseman having quite a season, but he is also able to throw down the gloves on occasion, which he did last Thursday in his team's 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers.

That said, as Vincent Fournier of LetsGoHabs.com reports, the upcoming matchup between the two teams promises to be very emotional.

During his segment on TVA Sports' JiC show, journalist Renaud Lavoie mentioned that we should expect a lot of sparks on the ice when the two teams meet again next March.




To give you some context, Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas, went on several questionable hits during Thursday's game, never agreeing to be held accountable for his actions. One of those questionable hits was against Kirby Dach.

During a short-handed sequence, Gudas came to the Habs' blue line and instead of dumping the puck in, he fired a hard shot directly at the feet of the number 77 he was aiming at. Dach missed his team's practice the next day.

But Lavoie said that several Canadiens players told him that Gudas' action was deliberate and that it was an attempt to injure Dach. With the Habs' infirmary overflowing in the last few days, let's just say it's not the time to lose another soldier.

The next game between the Habs and the Panthers is scheduled for March 16 in Florida and if we were to see a matchup as tumultuous as Thursday's between the two teams, we'd be in for quite a show.

It promises to be a great show!