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Eichel: “It’s kind of a bizarre thing to think about-- that fans are cheering against their team" #Sabres pic.twitter.com/LIshgSE9cM
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) April 5, 2015
He's coming for you Buffalo!
Jack Eichel and his BU Terriers practiced in suburban Boston on Saturday. Eichel, O'Connor, Rodrigues and the Terriers are getting ready for this Thursday's Frozen Four.
Eichel already has boots on the ground in Buffalo. The prohibitive favorite to win the Hobey Baker Award has a scout or two in Buffalo who are keeping him abreast of the head-shaking tanking shenanigans that have been taking place during the past three home games vs. Arizona, Toronto, and Chicago.
Eichel told The Toronto Star on Saturday that his embedded sources informed him of the raucous ovation and carrying on atof diehard Sabres fans who are all-in for The Tank.
On Friday night, Sabres fans lifted the lid off the joint and demonstrated joyfully after Chicago captain Jonathon Toews scored twice in 47 seconds to give the Blackhawks the 4-3 regulation win over the Sabres. The Sabres held a third period lead and the home fans were restless. Toews opened the valve and relieved the pressure and anxiety of winning when the home fans wanted a loss.
Its a bizarre parallel universe in Buffalo these days where losing is winning and vice versa.
Sabres fans want Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel more than oxygen and jelly beans combined. The Sabres now hold a 4 point lead on the Arizona Coyotes and can clinch sole possession of 30th place with a home loss to Carolina on Monday night.
Eichel's spies are feeding him the 4-1-1:
“I have a friend that was at the game (in Buffalo) and I got a text message saying the Buffalo fans were cheering when (the Sabres) lost,… Eichel said on Saturday. There are only three games remaining in Buffalo's season from hell. If they don't win McDavid in the lottery, they wil "settle" for the size, skill, speed, strength, and smarts of Eichel.
Eichel played in Buffalo in October as a member of the USA Hockey Top Prospects team. He got a firsthand feel of the mania that is swirling around the Queen City for him right now. He's ben taken aback by the thought of Sabres fans abandoning their home team to cheer for the visitors to win in regulation.
“I’ve been trying to ignore it more and more as we’ve gone on this season. But I think it’s starting to grow more than ever,… Eichel said. “The season’s winding down, so people are talking about the draft.…
The freshman phenom won't hazard a guess at which NHL team he will eventually be drafted by. There's no point in him trying to speculate or guess what will be happening in the not too distant future. Right now, he has bigger fish to fry. Namely, winning the 2015 NCAA Men's College Hockey Championships before transitioning to the NHL next season.
“What team? What number? You can’t really focus it on too much,… he said. “A team goes up to the podium, you don’t know what they’re going to do.…
Eichel thnks that your behavior is bizarre, Buffalo.
“It’s kind of a bizarre thing to think about — that fans are cheering against their team, hoping that they lose,… he said. “But I guess, really, they’re just excited about the future.…
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Babcock will follow McDavid. Ruling out Pens. Babs would look like a boss behind Buffalo bench pic.twitter.com/XSpCWzOEHI
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) April 5, 2015
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I'm feeling rather nostalgic on this Easter Sunday.
Dateline Buffalo, New York:
May 30, 2006
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in OT to force the deciding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals when center Daniel Briere scored 4:22 into overtime to give the Sabres a 2-1 win in Game 6 at HSBC Arena.
Remember that?
Briere's goal came during Buffalo’s fifth power-play of the game. Carolina tied the game 1-1 when Bret Hedican scored his second goal of the postseason with 3:57 remaining in regulation.
Cam Ward made 29 saves in the game, including 13 in the first period, but suffered the loss. Ryan Miller allowed just one goal on 26 shots to earn the win for the Sabres. J.P. Dumont gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead just 4:56 into the game.
The Sabres lost Game 7. No need for us to relive that brutal experience all over again.
It's still so hard for me to believe that the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup that season.
If Jay McKee or Teppo Numminen were healthy for Game 7, it would have been Buffalo spanking Edmonton in the 2006 Cup Finals.
Ifs and buts, candy and nuts. If all comes true, we all have a Merry Christmas.
Or, in this case a Happy Easter.
To quote my good buddy Art Wander: "Don't get me started!!".
Its been nine seasons since the Canes were handed a winning lottery ticket. Now, its Carolina's turn to hand the Sabres a winning cash for life lottery ticket.
On Monday night, the Sabres can exorcise the demons of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals heart break.
With a victory in Buffalo on Monday night, the Canes can guarantee that the Sabres will finish in the #1 seed in the Connor McDavid Sweepstakes. A Canes win will give the Sabres a one in five chance of selecting McDavid in the April 18 NHL Draft Lottery.
What the #Sabres hope to find in their #Easter basket this year... pic.twitter.com/wIU4LGtonD
— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) April 5, 2015Should the Sabres lose McDavid, they will take 100% possession of the second overall pick in the lottery which they will use to select Boston University super centerman Jack Eichel.
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The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for the third game in a row on Saturday afternoon at PNC Arena in a game that required shootout to settle the 3-2 score.
Nathan Gerbe potted the shootout winner, and Cam Ward stopped two of the three Philadelphia shooters to cinch the Carolina victory.
"Gerbs has some silky hands. Made him bite pretty good. That was a nice move," Eric Staal said.
The Canes will kick off three games in four nights in Buffalo on Monday night. They will travel to Detroit and Philadelphia before finishing out their woe be gone season at home next Saturday against Detroit.
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Dear Chicken Littles: The sky was never falling. Disaster was never imminent. You cried "fire" in a crowded theater.
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) April 5, 2015
The Buffalo Sabres received a huge, life-sized Easter bunny in their basket when the Arizona Coyotes knocked off the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Saturday night.
The Sabres are now in sole possession of 30th place in the NHL standings and will not relinquish the #1 seed in the McEichel Cup to Arizona. For all intents and purposes, the McEichel race is over. The Sabres only have to lose two points in their next three games in order to seal the deal. The Sabres have played 79 games and have 52 points. The Desert Dogs have also played 79 games and have 56 points.
The Sabres have a one in five (20%) chance of winning Connor McDavid at the NHL Draft Lottery and there is one week remaining in the NHL regular season. The Sabres are rights holders on the highest odds of any other team in the lottery.
Arizona is next with a 13.5% chance.
I don't see the Coyotes overtaking the Sabres.
On Saturday night versus San Jose, Oliver Ekman Larsson scored twice, Shane Doan and Mark Arcobello once, and San Gagner added an empty netter with less than a minute remaining in regulation play to seal the deal for the Coyotes.
Ekman Larsson tied Phil Housley's Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise record for goals scored by defensemen in a season at 23.
The Coyotes' win over the Sharks, coupled with the Sabres' 3-0 loss at Long Island has moved Buffalo's McEichel lead to 4 points with just 3 games remaining to play in the season.
Here's the bottom line:
If the Coyotes earn two more points or the Sabres lose two more points, the McEichel race will be won by Buffalo. The Sabres host Carolina on Monday, then won't play again until Friday night when they travel to Columbus. The Dogs play Calgary on Tuesday and Vancouver on Thursday night.
The Sabres can clinch 30th place on Monday night with a regulation loss to Carolina. Talk about a tasty Dyngus Day treat for Buffalonians!
I bet that the NCAA National Championship Hoops Game between Wisconsin and Duke will earn less than a one rating on Monday night. 99% of SabreNation will be watching Sabres-Canes.
Where are all of the Chicken Littles now?
The sky was never in danger of falling in Buffalo.
It's the final countdown. Savor the day.
***
By losing 3-0 on Long Island, the Buffalo Sabres have tied an NHL record by scoring 1 or fewer goals for the 36th time this season.
The Sabres are now tied with the 1929 Chicago Blackhawks and the 1998 Tampa Lightning.
The Sabres have three games remaining in this season from hell. They host Carolina on Dyngus Day. Then they travel to Columbus on Friday night. They will end the season on home ice against Pittsburgh next Saturday night.