Skating with the puck to the sound of the crowd roaring in approval, Alex Tuch scored the Sabres’ most memorable empty-net goal in a decade and made a bad night worse for Jack Eichel in the former captain’s return to Buffalo on March 10.
Jack Eichel is back in Buffalo for Thursday night's game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Sabres at KeyBank Center.
Tuch intercepting the puck from Eichel, then burying the insurance goal to seal a 3-1 win over his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, began an impressive two-month stretch of play for the Sabres and signaled to many in the franchise’s frustrated fan base that the blockbuster trade was for the better.
Eichel wasn’t in top form after undergoing the artificial disk replacement surgery that led to the seismic deal that brought Tuch, center Peyton Krebs and two draft picks to Buffalo last November. The Sabres were finally turning a corner while the injury-riddled Golden Knights were on their way to missing the playoffs for the first time in their brief history.
People are also reading…
Much has changed since that night, which ended with Eichel infamously criticizing the fans who booed him mercilessly. The Golden Knights’ current eight-game win streak has them sitting atop the NHL with a 12-2 record (24 points), and Eichel is skating like he did during his career-high 36-goal season in Buffalo in 2019-20. He’s second on the team in goals (6) and first in points (15).
However, the reception for his second game in Buffalo won’t be different. If anything, more fans will fill KeyBank Center on Thursday night to air their frustrations toward the former face of the franchise. It will be a raucous atmosphere with the game streamed exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu. And rather than ignoring the hype amid a three-game skid, the Sabres are relishing the opportunity to play under the spotlight once again.
“Let's embrace the game,” Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said following practice Wednesday. “Like, it’s a big game. And we haven't been in big games in the last 10 years because we haven't been in the playoffs. Let's try and build something to where we can play in these games and have them mean something and rise to the occasion like a few times we did last year. Let's continue that. … Let’s rise to the challenge.”
Before taking the ice for practice Wednesday morning, the Sabres’ players gathered to talk through what occurred in the 4-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes the previous night.
Don Granato, amid his second full season as coach, called the performance a “real disappointment” and, in hindsight, admitted that he feared a matchup against the Coyotes could be challenging because it was sandwiched between four challenging games against perennial contenders. The Sabres also practiced poorly Monday following consecutive weekend losses on the road to Carolina and Tampa Bay.
For whatever reason, the Sabres again strayed from the fast-paced, relentless style of play that helped them start the season 7-3, despite missing three of their top six defensemen because of injuries. They overpassed, underwhelmed and didn’t work hard enough against a Coyotes team that has yet to total 30 shots on goal in any game and owned a negative-14 goal differential.
The challenge will increase significantly against the Golden Knights, who are tied for third in the NHL in goals scored and have allowed the fewest per game. This is a test of will, as much as talent. The Sabres had an opportunity to beat the Coyotes, despite the litany of mistakes. A similar performance against Vegas or Boston, which visits Buffalo on Saturday, will lead to an even uglier result. There was a heightened sense of urgency Wednesday to correct all that went wrong.
“I mentioned the very first day at training camp to our team, that our culture, we think we have a culture and it's this long-carry thing, it's not,” said Granato. “Your culture will be built at moments of crisis and crisis is either actual or is perceived. So, the actual is we lost, the perceived is we didn't do this, we didn't do that, we need to be better here. … It's how you're going to respond to that. Are you going to look in the mirror, are you going to point a finger? And for us, that was where we're at this morning, was let's look back at this, and let's look in the mirror and take control of what we have control of.”
At their best, the Sabres can be a prolific offensive team. Even after the letdown Monday night, they rank second in the NHL in goals per game (3.85). But their results at the other end of the ice are slipping. Buffalo has allowed 14 goals during the three-game skid. Goaltending and defense aren’t the primary issues, though.
Forwards need to win more faceoffs, create more chaos in front of the net and forecheck harder to wear down opponents. In pursuit of the perfect play, the Sabres are committing too many turnovers that lead to chances against.
“Number one team in the league right now,” Tuch said of Vegas. “So, what is it, eight straight for them? Beat a really, honestly, a Toronto team that had been playing really well the last couple games, too. Obviously playing for them, I know a lot of those guys over there. They've got a lot of high-end talent, but they go in each and every day and they work. They really work. They focus on the little things and it's gonna be a really big test for us, especially after losing the last three.
“I thought last night definitely wasn't our best game by any means. We let the game get away from us a little bit, but it'll be a good test for us (Thursday). And I think the guys are up for it.”
Every team, no matter their style of play, will try to push the Sabres around. The Coyotes’ players acknowledged after their win Tuesday that they wanted to frustrate Buffalo’s young, skilled forwards by finishing every check. Vegas has the speed and strength to apply even more pressure on star players such as Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson.
There were 40 penalty minutes between the two teams when Vegas visited in March. Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar fought Sabres defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, which ended when Kolesar landed a late punch when Fitzgerald was vulnerable on the ice. Emotions will be high again.
Slowing Eichel and the Golden Knights’ forwards will be another test with Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju still out of the lineup. Vegas is a deep, offensively gifted team that’s improved defensively under former Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. The Sabres want to grab momentum early and “play off the crowd,” Okposo said.
The crowd will likely boo Eichel each time he touches the puck. He and his teammates will want to silence them.
The Sabres know the formula to win. They thrived under the spotlight in March and April, frustrating the Maple Leafs outdoors at the Heritage Classic and toasting Rick Jeanneret’s career with a thrilling overtime victory in the season finale. Last season is in the past, though. The team is younger and still missing two of its top four defensemen.
This is an opportunity to make a statement far louder than any chorus of boos.
“I think it's gonna be the hardest game so far in this season,” said Dahlin. “We're up for a really big challenge. It's not gonna be easy at all. Every single guy in here has to bring their A game, so you know, we’ve gotta prepare. It’s gonna be a battle, for sure."
