"Didn't wanna fight Reaves": NHL fans react as Arber Xhekaj and Matt Rempe trade bombs in heavyweight tilt

NHL fans on social media reacted after Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe dropped gloves during Sunday's game at Bell Centre.

Before the puck dropped, the two players had a long chat, making it clear that a fight was likely. When they finally dropped the gloves, it was a lengthy spirited heavyweight bout.

Arber Xhekaj seemed to get the upper hand, landing more clean punches, especially as Matt Rempre started swinging before the Habs defenseman could take his gloves off.

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Xhekaj and Rempe's fight. One tweeted:

"Didn’t wanna fight Reaves though"

Another chimed in:

"I think Rempe has eaten a few too many fists cuz you generally start punching when the other player, you know, agrees to go? Xhekaj puts him in his play anyways!"

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"The coaches should really develop Rempe to not just be a fighter. Dude has the height and needs to fill his frame. He could be trained to be a great player, not just a fighter," another fan opined.

"I mean gotta respect bro stopped to let him get ready after he realize he wasn’t ready I don’t know how he wasn’t ready he kept getting in Rempe face all game," posted one.

"One of the many reasons I enjoy and respect the sport of hockey. Sometimes men just need to work out their grievances and then go their separate ways in an honorable fashion," another X user posted.

"Is there a fight where Rempe doesn’t get fed his lunch?," onother chimed in.

It was the fourth fight for Arber Xhekaj this season. Meanwhile, Matt Rempe fought for the first time after returning from an eight-game suspension for an illegal elbow to Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen last month.

---

Arber Xhekaj's Canadiens beat Rangers in OT

On Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the New York Rangers at Bell Centre. The Habs edged past the Blueshirts with a 5-4 win in overtime.

Patrik Laine scored 3:20 minutes into overtime to seal the win for the Habs, who improved to 23-19-4, only two points behind the top spot in the East wild card standings.

Christian Dvorak and Brendan Gallagher accumulated two points apiece for the Habs, while Jakub Dobes made 23 saves on the night. Arber Xhekaj and the Habs host the Tampa Bay Lightning (25-16-3) at the Centre Bell arena next on Tuesday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.