greenway nhl turned into a pregame edge when Arber Xhekaj and Jordan Greenway jawed during warmups before Game 2 against the Sabres. Greenway, listed at 6'6" and 231 pounds, was standing over Xhekaj in the exchange, and Montreal then opened with the first punch where it mattered.
Xhekaj And Greenway
The exchange came before a Game 2 that already carried extra heat, and it put two players with a clear physical contrast in the middle of it. Xhekaj is a Canadiens defenseman who plays right on the edge, while Greenway brought the size, with the Sabres forward listed at 6'6" and 231 pounds.
That warmup moment did not stay in warmups for long. Just minutes into the first period, Montreal had built a 2-0 lead, and the Canadiens looked like a club that took the exchange personally.
Montreal's Early Push
The quick start told the rest of the story. Montreal owned the first punch where it mattered, and the game shifted from a preface to a response in a matter of minutes.
Greenway's presence was supposed to tilt the temperature in Buffalo's favor, but the Canadiens attacked in waves after the exchange and took control early. That left the Sabres chasing a game that had already moved past the edge-work and into the scoreboard.
Game 2 Aftermath
For Buffalo, the issue was not just the scrap in the circle before puck drop. The bigger problem was that the matchup turned immediately into a 2-0 hole, and Montreal set the tone before the Sabres could settle into the game.
The warmup jawing gave the night its first spark, but the early lead gave Montreal the lasting response. Xhekaj and Greenway got the confrontation started before Game 2; the Canadiens finished the opening minutes with the only answer that counted.
