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On Tuesday night in Ottawa, Jack Eichel scored his first goal of theseason and added a helper in Buffalo's 5-4 win over the Senators.
Eichel's return from a 21 game injury absence helped to activate and re-invigorate Buffalo's otherwise stagnant offense which was dead last in the NHl with a sub-2.00 goals per game average.
I thought it better for Eichel to make his debut on the road without all of the fanfare and media crush.
On my way to the rink for Eichel's home debut, I had a feeling that he was going to dazzle the home fans and kickstart the decibel meter in the barn that frankly has been silent without Eichel in the lineup this season.
This kid is good. Scary good!
Eichel scored twice on King Henrik Lundqvist in the third period, once on the power play, to give the home fans the hockey buzz that they have so badly been longing for. Eichel's heroics allowed Sabres fans to clear their throats from screaming at the tops of their lungs.
The super sophomore's first goal of the game knotted the game at 3-3 Kyle Okposo fed Eichel a beauty of a pass to spring Eichel a point blank vchance on Lundqvist. The kid beat the vet with a wicked wrister for his second goal in consecutive games.
Final score: Sabres 4, Rangers 3.
Eichel gave the Sabres a 4-3 lead when he sent the puck out of the corner and it bounced off Mats Zuccarello and past Henrik Lundqvist with just over five minutes remaining in regulation time.
With 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation time, Dan Bylsma sent Eichel out to take the D-zone draw in the white knuckle closing moments. Jack kept his composure and flushed the puck to kill the clock. The Sabres have now won two games in a row. Eichel has created the trickledown effect of offense which has seen suddenly surging Sabres have scored 9 goals in their past six period of play. The Sabres now trail the Boston Bruins by just four points in the wild card race in the Eastern Conference standings.
Marcus Foligno said after the win that the boys on the bench were amped up to see Eichel control the puck in the dying moments.
"That was huge," Foligno said. "There wasn't one guy on our bench who wasn't cheering him on and telling him where to go. That just goes to show you that he puts the team first. He's a leader and for how young he is, he brings a lot of energy to our team. It's a tight game, we're up by one and he chips the puck out like that when he could have easier stopped and let their guy go get it first. He cares and that's why we pulled out a good victory tonight."
Foligno recorded his 100th career NHL point when he assisted on Brian Gionta's goal.
Jack and the Sabres ripped the Senators 5-4 on Tuesday night. Eichel scored a goal and an assist in 17:08 TOI. I fully and completely expected the BU Terrier legend to put on a show while skating on the same sheet as his summer shinny league winger, Jimmy Vesey of the Rangers.
Check out this excellent trip down memory lane to where it all started for Sabres super sophomore Jack Eichel.
Thanks, MSG
Also, two monumental moments for Eichel.
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The holiday shopping continues in Buffalo tonight.
I've been telling you for several weeks that a few NHL teams continue to scout the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Amerks. They are familiar eyes in the sky tonight.
The Vancouver Canucks once again sent their pro scout to Buffalo.
The Columbus Blue Jackets dispatched their director of hockey administration to watch Sabres-Rangers.
The Anaheim Ducks have sent their director of player personnel to balmy Buffalo.
THe New York Rangers sent their GM and a scout to Buffalo on Thursday night.
Vancouver willing to move Jake Virtanen for Evander Kane?
Is Columbus willing to trade a D for a big body, energy forward with skill?
If Anaheim is unwilling to trade star D Cam Fowler would they instead move big lefty, top four Shea Theodore? Zemgus Girgensons was on Anaheim's radar screen last spring before the NHL trade deadline.
The Rangers are looking for a veteran center/winger who plays with physicality.
Might all interested parties be scouting Zemgus Girgensons?
Zemgus, the former first rounder, skated only 7 minutes TOI in Ottawa while Carrier was promoted to the number one trio while playing 12 minutes TOI.
In 21 games with Eichel on the shelf and Dan Bylsma begging for an offensive hero to emerge, Girgensosn went largely unnoticed scoring only 1 goal and 3 assists. He's regressed from a 20-goal man to an energy role forward of late. The big Latvian's strengths are his speed, physicality and finishing ability. He's on pce to score 4 goals this season. Bylsma and Murray expect more offense from Girgensons. It's in him.
Girgensons has been given ample opportunity to skate, create, defend and score.
Where is his confidence? Will he ever find it?
I've been saying for one and a quarter seasons that Girgensons is failing to live up to the demanding expectations of Dan Bylsma. Unlike Marcus Foligno, Girgensons has failed to deliver the goods under Bylsma. Like Tyler Ennis, Zemgus has never rid himself of the habits instilled in him by former coach and mentor Ted Nolan.
The one positive to be pulled from the Eichel long term injury is that Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray got a firsthand look at their organizational forward depth.
The results are very positive in that on most nights while Eichel was injured, there were several Rochester Amerks forwards in the lineup. Carrier has taken the bull by the horns and doesn't appear to be yielding to anybody. He has one goal in 12 games and has been a whirling dervish hitting opponents and battlling for position in th elow post. Justin Bailey was held pointless in two games in Buffalo, however, has checked the boxes in terms of his size, speed, skill and jam. Hudson Faschimng played six strong games before he was injured. Fasching projects to be a terror on the wing and in the paint. Derek Grant, acquired in a trade with Ottawa last season, has been a 54% faceof man and a godsend on the penalkty kill. Grant is Paul Gaustad Version 2.0 and has offensive upside yet. Cole Schneider is a big, brave, skilled winger who has a knack for finishing (0 goals in 4 games in BUF). Nick Baptiste potted two goals in his 12 games in Buffalo and his unique blend oif size-sped-skill is enticing.
I think it's safe to say that Derek Grant and Will Carrier have leap frogged Zemgus Girgensons on the Buffalo depth chart.
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