Florian Xhekaj’s Canadiens Debut Overshadowed as Hurricanes Pull Away 6-4

The first time is supposed to feel like a breakthrough, and for Florian Xhekaj, the breakthrough came under the brightest possible test. Both Xhekaj brothers finally suited up for the Montreal Canadiens in a regular-season game, but the night turned into a harsh initiation as Montreal fell 6-4 to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Stanley Cup champions.

The matchup put Montreal’s opening-night hopes against a club that has already proven it can win the sport’s biggest prize. The Hurricanes have carried that championship profile into the regular season, and from the start, the game demanded composure from the Habs, including their newest NHL presence.

For Florian, the evening was a baptism that came with more than one kind of pressure. A first appearance at the NHL level is rarely simple, even when circumstances are routine, and it becomes harder when the opponent is built to play with pace and depth. The Hurricanes’ ability to control stretches left Montreal to respond rather than dictate terms.

Still, the debut had clear upside in how it unfolded. The report noted that Florian stood out for the right reasons at times, even though the overall outcome did not. That kind of split impression is familiar to young players: flashes of NHL-readiness within a game that is otherwise slipping away.

The Xhekaj storyline also mattered in a team context. Hockey is a sport of pairings, line chemistry, and timing, but it is also one of family ties and legacy. Having two brothers on the same NHL ice is rare enough to be news on its own, and it becomes a recruiting pitch for the Canadiens’ long-term identity-building if both players can grow into defined roles.

Carolina’s separation in the scoreline turned the night into a different kind of lesson for Montreal. Even when a young player sees positive moments, games like this reinforce the details that determine who wins, especially against a champion. For a rebuilding or retooling team, those details often matter as much as the final number on the scoreboard.

What to watch next is whether Montreal can translate the experience into steadier overall execution and whether Florian can build on the “right reasons” that were visible in his debut. With the Hurricanes setting a high bar, the next steps will likely be about consistency, understanding game states more quickly, and sustaining the kind of impact that flashed in the first NHL outing.