Watch: Arber Xhekaj takes down Pat Maroon with a flurry of left-hand punches

Montreal Canadiens blue liner Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves with Chicago Blackhawks veteran Pat Maroon during the first period of Friday night’s matchup.

The heavyweight tilt set off fireworks as the pugilists traded punches. However, Arber Xhekaj took the decision as he leveled Maroon with a flurry of left-hand blows.

The fisticuffs ended when Xhekaj knocked Maroon to the ice, prompting the officials to step in and break up the fight.

Xhekaj got an ovation from fans and teammates as he skated off the ice. The stick taps from the bench signaled the Canadiens’ bench was fired up by the action.

Both players were sent off with a five-minute major penalty for fighting, as their teams traded goals in the first period.

Patrick Maroon gets last laugh on Arber Xhekaj

Despite the fireworks on the ice between Maroon and Xhekaj, the game was decided on the scoreboard. In the end, Patrick Maroon got the last laugh on Arber Xhekaj. Maroon scored his second goal of the season to life the Blackhawks past the Canadiens.

Maroon’s goal at 3:01 of the third period made the game 3-1. The goal proved to be the game-winner as the Canadiens scored once more to make the game close at 3-2. Unfortunately for the Habs, Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno tallied his second goal of the night, giving Chicago an insurance goal, capping off a 4-2 win.

Meanwhile, Arber Xhekaj ended the night playing 9:59 over 13 shifts. He and Jayden Struble registered the lowest ice time on the night. The loss ended the Canadiens three-game winning streak.

Montreal had beaten three of the league’s best teams in the Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers, shutting out the later 4-0 on December 28. As for the Blackhawks, Maroon and Foligno helped the Blackhawks end their five-game slide.

In particular, the Blackhawks were coming off three consecutive blowout losses, dropping a 6-2 game against the St. Louis Blues on New Year’s Eve, a 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on December 29, and a painful 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres the night before.

The win puts the Blackhawks one point behind the Nashville Predators for seventh in the Central Division. As for the Canadiens, they’re one point up on the Detroit Red Wings for sixth in the Atlantic and four up on the last-place Sabres.

The Canadines are now three points back of the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. Another hot streak could put the Canadiens into the playoff conversation, as they trail the Ottawa Senators and Lightning.

While it might seem unlikely, the Canadiens could be a surprising playoff team come this spring. It remains to be seen if the Habs can pull off one of this season’s most unexpected runs.