The Montreal Canadiens may have skated away with a dominant 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on Sunday night, but the talk of the hockey world isn't about the score—it's about a controversial punch that dropped Sabres forward Sam Carrick at the final buzzer.
With the Canadiens holding a commanding 2-1 series lead, tensions boiled over as time expired. Players from both sides converged in a chaotic scrum near the net, and that's when Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Replays show Xhekaj pushing his left hand into Carrick's face before landing a heavy right hand to the jaw. The punch connected cleanly, sending Carrick crashing to the ice. The moment was captured on camera and quickly spread across social media, with the popular hockey podcast Spittin' Chiclets sharing the clip and captioning it, "Wifi threw a heavy right on Carrick at the buzzer."
The hit has ignited a firestorm of debate among fans. Some are defending Xhekaj's physical style—a hallmark of his game—while others are calling it a cheap shot that deserves league discipline.
"Dirty play. Wouldn't be surprised if he's suspended," one fan posted.
"Cheap shot. And no call, typical. Refs were garbage tonight," another added.
"Sucker punch specialist. Perros will do nothing," a fan wrote, referencing George Parros, the head of NHL Player Safety.
But not everyone is rushing to judge. "Watch the whole sequence, Carrick was tossing punches too, he just got caught with one," a fan pointed out.
Another fan offered a lighter take: "Carrick still trying to remember the wifi password."
The biggest concern centers on whether Carrick had a fair chance to defend himself. In the scrum, his hands appeared tied up, leaving him vulnerable as Xhekaj landed the blow. One fan defended the Canadiens defenseman, arguing the Sabres had been targeting Montreal's skilled players all series, including a hit on goalie Jakub Dobes that bent the goalpost.
"Very deserved and there should be no fines or suspension, and if there is, the NHL better do both teams. They hit Montreal's goalie so hard his back hit the top of the goalie post. Prior games they went after Hutson just to get him off the ice. Sabres try to injure better skilled players," the fan wrote.
As the series shifts to Game 4, all eyes will be on the NHL's Department of Player Safety to see if Xhekaj faces any supplemental discipline for his buzzer-beater punch. For now, the Canadiens hold the edge on the scoreboard—but the debate over this hit is far from over.