Canadiens could be forced into painful Arber Xhekaj decision with Noah Dobson's imminent return

Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson skating early with Adam Nicholas was not random. It looked like a reset button before a huge lineup call.

Dobson has already returned to the ice more than once since the April 11 injury. Montreal said Tuesday should bring clarity on his status.

That is where Xhekaj's problem starts. Coaches do not like touching pairs that are keeping games clean in a series this tight.

Montreal finished 48-24-10, and this first-round fight with Tampa Bay is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on April 29. Every mistake now gets magnified.

Dobson put up 12-35-47 in 80 games before getting hurt. That is not third-pair talent waiting politely in the corner.

Xhekaj's case is simpler and weaker. He gave Montreal bite and honest minutes, but his 1-3-4 line in 65 games does not beat puck movement when the margins are this small.

Fans can feel it, this no longer looks like a toughness decision, it looks like a trust decision.

Matheson can carry retrievals on the left side. Dobson can break pressure with one pass. That combo pushes the attack north faster, and it keeps Lane Hutson from carrying every clean exit.

That ripple hits Xhekaj first, not Jayden Struble. Struble has been giving low-maintenance third-pair shifts, and coaches cling to that in playoff rounds.

So this is bigger than one practice note. It feels like Montreal showing its hand, and Xhekaj may need an injury, or a bad night from someone else, to get it back.