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What rust? What ramping up period?
I've been telling my followers on Twitter that Jack Eichel would make an immediate impact to the Buffalo lineup once he finally returned from injury.
I was not lying.
The Sabres had scored more than two goals in a game only once in 13 games November before Eichel's return sparked the offense in the first period. Prior to Tuesday night, the Sabres had scored only 19 goals in thir 13 games played in November.
Jack The Ripper struck early and often in his first game of the season after sitting out 21 contests with a high ankle sprain.
Eichel skated 17:08 TOI and looked fresher as the game played out than he did in the beginning.
Eichel did what generational players do. He lifted his teammates on his back and carried them to victory.
Eichel assisted on Kyle Okposo's PPG at 6:16 of the first period and then scored a power play goal of his own 3 minutes later.
He skated 6:21 TOI, had two points, 6 shot attempts (3 on goal), and was 50% on draws.
The Sabres played the game with a newfound swagger and confidence with their best player in the lineup at long last.
I call it the "Eichel Effect". The skill level and urgency quotient rises considerable when Eichel is in the lineup. Dan Bylsma said on Tuesday morning he was hoping the return of Eichel would have a trickledown effect on the entire Buffalo roster. Bylsma's lines became better balanced when Jack came back to the lineup.
Eight different Sabres got their names on the score sheet in Ottawa. It had been nearly a month since the Sabres dropped a six spot on the Edmonton Oilers that multiple Sabres players recorded points in the same game.
Ryan O'Reily scored a 5v5 goal and a clutch third period power play goal for the Sabres.
O'Reilly also added an assist. Eichel, Reinhart and Okposo added a goal and an assist apiece. Rasmus Ristolainen added two more power play assists. CEvander Kane, Cody Franson and Josh Gorges added assists in the win.
It's just a matter of the trickledown. Just what the doctor and Dan Bylsma ordered.
The Sabres now have scored 43 goals this season, 17 of which have been scored on the power play.
The Sabres took a 3-1 lead to the room after P1. It seems like an eternity since the last time the Sabres socred three goals in a period let alone three goals in a game.
Ottawa would cut the lead to 3-2. Then Buffalo restored it's two goal lead twice only to have the Sens cut the Sabres lead to one goal.
Buffalo starting goalie Robin Lehner removed himself from the game in the second period when it appeared that he injured his hamstring. An ice cold Anders Nilsson entered the game and was slow to find his groove on the game. Nilsson's rebound control left a lot to be desired. The Sens pounced on the Sabres as Nilsson was getting engaged in the game.
In the end, the Sabres prevail 5-4 in a chippy, highly offensive game against a division opponent.
Dan Bylsma said after the win that Robin Lehner suffered a hip injury during the first period of Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. Lehner is listed as day-to-day.
With 2:12 remaining in the first, Lehner removed himself from the game and went to the locker room. Anders Nilsson finished the game for the Sabres and earned the road win.
**
Speaking with Jack Eichel, I come away from conversations with the impression that he is mature beyond his 19 years. It is very easy to confuse Eichel with a 26 year old man. I chalk it up to great parenting. His parents obviously raised him well. He is a humble, modest and thoughtful young man.
Eichel used the brand new My One Buffalo app to share his heartfelt thanks with Buffalo Sabres fans, his treammates, training staff and coaches for helping him get through the darkest days of his seven week injury recovery process.
Elliotte Friedman, my friend in red wine, Howard Stern and hockey wrote in his most excellent 30 Thoughts column this week that the Buffalo Sabres have been spending a lot of time scouting the Utica Comets in recent weeks.
17. I’m not sure what it all means, but Buffalo’s been watching a lot of AHL Utica. (One game was against the Sabres’ own club, Rochester.) I’m assuming that’s Jake Virtanen.
I've been telling you in this space for several months that the Sabres have been intrigued by top four D Ben Hutton as well as Jake Virtanen, the power forward and former 6th overall pick. Last week, the Vancouver Canucks signed Hutton to a two year bridge contract which took the 23 year old off the market. Virtanen was sent to the AHL three weeks ago because the Canucks want him to work on his overall game while playing 20+ minutes in Utica.
Virtanen is indeed the object of curiosity of not only Buffalo but several other NHL clubs.
Virtanen has been the centerpiece of chatter for the past six weeks.
Earlier this month, Canucks recalled Virtanen from the Utica Comets after just two games. After sitting out as a healthy scratch for two games, Virtanen was demoted to Utica. Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins caused a collective head scratch when he tried to explain the rationale about sending Virtanen to Utica for just two games only to recall him to send him back down immediately.
“We were on the road, and so I don’t think he had any of his stuff,” Desjardins told The Province. “He needed to come back to get his stuff for us to kind of make a decision on where we’re going to go at with him. When you’re on the road you don’t have anything.
“If you’re going to go down for a while, you need to go back and get (your stuff).”
THe Hockey News asked Virtanen about the whirlwind odyssey between Vancouver and Utica. He said he was just following direct orders from his bosses.
"Honestly, I was just doing what I was told," Virtanen said.
 "I wasn’t going to say much, but yeah, I didn’t play for a little bit there: two games on the road trip (against the Islanders and Rangers). Get sent down, play two games and then back to Vancouver, didn’t play and then sent back (to Utica).
"It’s just business and that’s just how things are going to work. I dunno exactly what (the plan is) they didn’t really communicate with me as much."Â
When asked to explain what "his stuff" meant, Virtanensaid he has no idea what Desjardins was talking about.
"I honestly have no idea, to be honest," Virtanen said.Â
"I actually still don’t understand that really." Â
I think the Canucks are ready to move on from the 6'1" 210 lb. power forward who scored seven goals and six assists in 55 games during his rookie season while finishing second on the team with 128 hits.
I'm told Buffalo;s ask of Vancouver for Evander Kane and a second round draft choice was Ben Hutton and Jake Virtanen. Hutton is now off the table.
I'll continue to keep an eye on Buffalo and Virtanen.
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