For Evander Kane, Samson Reinhart and the Buffalo Sabres revenge is dish best served cold.
Make that Winnipeg sub zero cold.
#TrackSuitSunday was a thing for the week or so leading up to the Sabres-Jets tilt.
How dopey does the whole track suit party seem now that Kane and his new team skated into the Jets' hangar and stole two points?
While the Jets and their fans were focused on making Evander Kane's return to The Peg a powder keg, Reinhart and his Sabres mates had one thing in mind: to snap their six game losing streak.
Kane and the Sabres blocked out the noise, got the last laugh and earned two points in the process.
Mission accomplished.
Ironic that Reinhart shook off a Dustin Byfuglien cheap head shot and then scored his first career NHL hat trick.
Head shots, hat tricks, hard hits by both teams, jeering by the home fans. This game had it all.
For Kane, Samson Reinhart and the Buffalo Sabres, revenge is dish best served cold.
Make that Winnipeg sub zero cold.
While the Jets and their fans were focused on making Evander Kane's return to The Peg a powder keg, Reinhart and his Sabres mates had one thing in mind: to snap their six game losing streak.
Mission accomplished.
Reinhart shook off a first period Dustin Byfuglien cheap shot and scored his first career NHL hat trick.
Marcus Foligno also potted his first goal in his past eleven games to give the Sabres the third period go-ahead goal with 15:48. Foligno's goal salted away Buffalo's grittiest win of the season against a hard hitting Jets team.
The game marked the first time the teams met since a February 2015 trade that sent defenseman Zach Bogosian and left wing Evander Kane to Buffalo. They returned to Winnipeg for their first game against the franchise that selected them in the NHL Draft in back-to-back years (2008 and 2009, respectively). Jets forwards Drew Stafford, Joel Armia and defenseman Tyler Myers went to Winnipeg in the trade.
Reinhart, the second pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, scored twice in the first period, one on the power play with Tyler Myers in the sin bin.
With Connor Hellebuyck on the bench in favor of the extra attacker, Evander Kane and Reinhart boogied into the Winnipeg zone. Rather than swish the puck into the yawning net himself, Kane made the unselfish, team first play and gave Reinhart the thrill of a lifetime. Reinhart buried the Kane offering for an empty-net goal with 27 seconds left in the game. The MSG Network cameras caught Kane and Reinhart laughing and smiling on the bench after the rookie potted his hatty goal.
Kane gets the last laugh on the fans who used to buy his #9 sweater.
Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg's leading scorer snapped a 12 game goal less streak with a first period tally. Mathieu Perreault also scored. Bryan Little had two assists.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark had 42 saves for Buffalo; Hellebuyck made 25 saves.
1st @NHL Hat Trick at 20 years old! Congrats, Sam! #Rhino pic.twitter.com/1mjcHAbILi
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 11, 2016***
In my opinion, Dustin Byfuglien has earned himself a hearing with the NHL Player Safety Department for this gratuitous head shot that he leveled on Buffalo Sabres winger Samson Reinhart.
Byfuglien was not penalized for the head shot that occurred moments after Reinhart scored the game's first goal in the opening moments of the first period of Sunday afternoon's game.
That's a blatant Rule 48 violation, folks. Byfuglien could have easily lowered his shoulder and checked Reinhart off the puck. Instead, he plowed his elbow into the 20 year old's head.
The principle point of Byfuglien's contact was Reinhart's head. Byfuglien chicken winged Reinhart as the two men came together.
I am still wrestling with what was worse. The fact that Byfuglien hammered Reinhart in the head or the fact that two officials watched it happen and opted not to call a penalty on the play. Look at the picture and you see the ref and linesman watching #33 smash #23 in white's head.
No call. Zip, zero, nada.
.@SabresBuzz pic.twitter.com/QFQWmo2coT
— Lindy Ruff's Tie (@LindyRuffsTie) January 10, 2016Thanks, @LindyRuffsTie
Byfuglien Rule 48 Violation on Reinhart. Principle point if contact 23's head. No call by 2 refs watching the play pic.twitter.com/190YPkzclF
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) January 10, 2016Typical Byfuglien, right? The guy is now stranger to shenanigans and extracurricular aggression on opponents.
The return of Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian to Winnipeg for the first time since last February's enormous trade helped to fuel the pregame emotions among both teams and the Winnipeg fan base.
Reinhart was shaken up on the play and took sevearl moments to get up on hi sskates. It's understandable. Th ekid got hi sbrain scrambled by a 6'5" 265 lb. defensive end with loose elbows.
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Byfuglien and the Jets really miss Evander Kane.
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