[Incomplete Title] Sabres (21-12-5) & NHL 2018-19 - Game 39 (MSG-B) vs. BOS (20-14-4) at 7 PM ET on 12/29

[26CornerBlitz]

 

NHL Standings at the Holiday Break

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Jeff Skinner is blowing up with the Buffalo Sabres. He is doing what everyone who has followed his career knew he could do, scoring a lot. The Carolina Hurricanes didn’t want to keep this stellar sniper on the roster so they traded him to the Sabres for Cliff Pu and a few picks.

[Boca BIlls]

On 12/23/2018 at 9:18 AM, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

Thank god b.c I love his voice.

[JohnC]

As we enter the rest of the season one of the players that intrigues me is Tage Thompson. Because he is still so young and mostly because he has not completely physically matured there is still a lot of potential to tap. It may take a couple of years to get to a point where he will become more of a factor on the ice. Without question he has impressive skills. He can skate and shoot. He is not much of a force as a checker but he works hard at it. Maybe In a year or two the ROR trade will have worked out especially well for us because of how the younger player we got in the return developed?

 

 

https://buffalonews.com/2018/12/24/buffalo-sabres-tage-thompson-phil-housley-nhl-news/

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Doc]

15 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

Jeff Skinner is blowing up with the Buffalo Sabres. He is doing what everyone who has followed his career knew he could do, scoring a lot. The Carolina Hurricanes didn’t want to keep this stellar sniper on the roster so they traded him to the Sabres for Cliff Pu and a few picks.

 

Why did they trade him again?  Bad attitude?  Didn't want to pay him? 

[plenzmd1]

33 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Why did they trade him again?  Bad attitude?  Didn't want to pay him? 

Maybe the same reason we traded ROR..just wasn't working out with him

[Alaska Darin]

46 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Why did they trade him again?  Bad attitude?  Didn't want to pay him? 

They've basically blown up their team.  New owner, new GM, new Head Coach.  None of them really have any loyalty to Skinner and their window to start really winning is a couple of years away, so they didn't see much reason to keep him around.  Keep in mind that he's had some concussion issues as well, so they're rightly wary about giving a long term deal to him.  As great as he's been, I'm VERY concerned about the Sabres giving him a 8+ year deal...not because he's not going to average 25+ goals a season when he's healthy, but because guys who've suffered multiple concussions have a much higher likelihood of suffering a long term/career ending injury from a hit or fall.

 

Skinner has long been a very good/great goal scorer...a guy I really like.  Make no mistake, though...Eichel is a HUGE reason he's on such a roll.  He also got TRADED for nothing in a contract year...so he's REALLY motivated.  I'll believe he's "this" guy if he's still here and doing it 2 or 3 years from now.

[26CornerBlitz]

46 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Why did they trade him again?  Bad attitude?  Didn't want to pay him? 

 

I think both parties were ready for a change.  He never tasted the playoffs in Carolina and being closer to home is something he has mentioned in interviews. 

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said:

They've basically blown up their team.  New owner, new GM, new Head Coach.  None of them really have any loyalty to Skinner and their window to start really winning is a couple of years away, so they didn't see much reason to keep him around.  Keep in mind that he's had some concussion issues as well, so they're rightly wary about giving a long term deal to him.  As great as he's been, I'm VERY concerned about the Sabres giving him a 8+ year deal...not because he's not going to average 25+ goals a season when he's healthy, but because guys who've suffered multiple concussions have a much higher likelihood of suffering a long term/career ending injury from a hit or fall.

 

Skinner has long been a great goal scorer...a guy I really like.  Make no mistake, though...Eichel is a HUGE reason he's on such a roll.

I agree with you that Eichel is instrumental in Skinner's goal production. But there is a flip side to that point: Skinner is allowing Eichel's talents to be better utilized. Without a finisher such as Skinner Eichel's production would not be nearly so great. I'm not arguing which player is more important to whom as I am stating that each player enhances the other to the benefit of the team. 

 

As like youI don't like those long term 8 year deals because of the high incidence of injuries and future reduced production. But those extended contracts are part of the business model whether one likes it or not. If that's what it takes to secure him then so be it. All teams are subjected to those same lengthy contracts for the top players. As a scorer it is fair to categorize him as one of the top players in the league. 

[BillsFan4]

47 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Why did they trade him again?  Bad attitude?  Didn't want to pay him? 

A new owner bought the team and was dead set on making big changes. 

 

He got rid of the coach + GM and felt more drastic changes were needed since they have the NHL’s longest playoff drought. 

 

So they traded Skinner, Lindholm and Hanifin. 

 

Rumors are the owner is actually involved in personnel decisions (which is part of the reason why he has trouble hiring a GM. That and the $$ he was offering was super low). I don’t know if he had a hand in the Skinner trade or not, but I know he pushed for big changes. I also read that their new coach (Rod Brind’amor) wasn’t the biggest Skinner fan (I believe because he felt Skinner didn’t play enough defense or something stupid like that). 

 

Mainly I think it boiled down to them wanting to change the culture and Skinner was one of their longest tenured players. 

[JohnC]

6 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

A new owner bought the team and was dead set on making big changes. 

 

He got rid of the coach + GM and felt more drastic changes were needed since they have the NHL’s longest playoff drought. 

 

So they traded Skinner, Lindholm and Hanifin. 

 

Rumors are the owner is actually involved in personnel decisions (which is part of the reason why he has trouble hiring a GM. That and the $$ he was offering was super low). I don’t know if he had a hand in the Skinner trade or not, but I know he pushed for big changes. I also read that their new coach (Rod Brind’amor) wasn’t the biggest Skinner fan (I believe because he felt Skinner didn’t play enough defense or something stupid like that). 

 

Mainly I think it boiled down to them wanting to change the culture and Skinner was one of their longest tenured players. 

You give an accurate depiction of the Skinner situation in Carolina. But the situation in Carolina is a common situation in the league. If you don't believe that your player is willing to sign a contract with you, regardless what you are offering, when he is entering his free agency year then you have little choice but to deal him for the best deal you can get. Even if it is an imbalanced deal you have make a deal or lose him for nothing.

 

Skinner was not going to sign a contract with Carolina because he wanted out and he wanted to be closer to Toronto where his family was. (As you noted). It certainly has worked out well for the Sabres and for him. It is probable that he will sign with us but there are no guarantees about that.

 

 

[Nextmanup]

44 minutes ago, JohnC said:

You give an accurate depiction of the Skinner situation in Carolina. But the situation in Carolina is a common situation in the league. If you don't believe that your player is willing to sign a contract with you, regardless what you are offering, when he is entering his free agency year then you have little choice but to deal him for the best deal you can get. Even if it is an imbalanced deal you have make a deal or lose him for nothing.

 

Skinner was not going to sign a contract with Carolina because he wanted out and he wanted to be closer to Toronto where his family was. (As you noted). It certainly has worked out well for the Sabres and for him. It is probable that he will sign with us but there are no guarantees about that.

 

 

He's going to want and he'll get a long term K, other than that, I love the idea of re-signing him.

 

He won't keep up peak production for each year of the deal though, but that's how the game is played these days.

 

 

[BillsFan4]

7 hours ago, JohnC said:

You give an accurate depiction of the Skinner situation in Carolina. But the situation in Carolina is a common situation in the league. If you don't believe that your player is willing to sign a contract with you, regardless what you are offering, when he is entering his free agency year then you have little choice but to deal him for the best deal you can get. Even if it is an imbalanced deal you have make a deal or lose him for nothing.

 

Skinner was not going to sign a contract with Carolina because he wanted out and he wanted to be closer to Toronto where his family was. (As you noted). It certainly has worked out well for the Sabres and for him. It is probable that he will sign with us but there are no guarantees about that.

 

 

 

The reason that I buy the reports that moving Skinner was a owner/GM/coach driven move to shake the team up and change the culture is that they could have just kept Skinner until the trade deadline and got a similar return (I think he easily brings a 2nd + B prospect (which is what buffalo gave up), and maybe even a 1st + B prospect if he was having a very good season). 

 

There have been reports for months that the Hurricanes are shopping for a top 6 goal scorer/sniper. There’s been recent reports that they are desperate for one and have ramped up their pursuit after failing to land William Nylander. 

 

Had the Skinner trade just been about recovering an asset for a pending free agent, I’d think they would have just kept him for most of the season instead of creating a hole that they’ve been trying to fill ever since.

[JohnC]

19 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

The reason that I buy the reports that moving Skinner was a owner/GM/coach driven move to shake the team up and change the culture is that they could have just kept Skinner until the trade deadline and got a similar return (I think he easily brings a 2nd + B prospect (which is what buffalo gave up), and maybe even a 1st + B prospect if he was having a very good season). 

 

There have been reports for months that the Hurricanes are shopping for a top 6 goal scorer/sniper. There’s been recent reports that they are desperate for one and have ramped up their pursuit after failing to land William Nylander. 

 

Had the Skinner trade just been about recovering an asset for a pending free agent, I’d think they would have just kept him for most of the season instead of creating a hole that they’ve been trying to fill ever since.

I have a slightly different take. The Hurricanes wanted to make the transition from the old to the new culture. Why keep on a player that doesn't want to be there and get closer to his free agency year where his trade value is limited (as you noted)? Why start a season with a lingering issue (not necessarily a problem) when you can start it fresh? Even with Skinner's departure that doesn't mean that Carolina can't keep their options open to make a deal for another scorer. Maybe not someone who is as accomplished as Skinner but sometimes you are limited through no fault of your own because of the circumstances you are confronted with. 

 

If Skinner expressed a desire to play on the west coast would the Sabres have dealt for him? Considering what they gave up for him I think they still would have made the deal with the hope that playing on the Sabres and with Jack would better position themselves to sign a deal with them. These type of situations which to force transactions happen all the time in hockey. We had a similar situation with Evander Kane. We got what we could for him which wasn't much other than improve our cap situation. 

 

With respect to William Nylander next year either he or one of the sharp shooters on the Maple Leafs may be moved because of the cap stress when they negotiate with a number of their young and talented players entering their contract years. That's going to be interesting to see how they handle that situation. I think they might still move Nylander and try to get back a good defenseman and balance out their roster for the playoffs. 

 

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[4merper4mer]

19 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

Does anyone else find it weird that New Jersey isn't getting a new jersey?

[Alaska Darin]

13 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

The reason that I buy the reports that moving Skinner was a owner/GM/coach driven move to shake the team up and change the culture is that they could have just kept Skinner until the trade deadline and got a similar return (I think he easily brings a 2nd + B prospect (which is what buffalo gave up), and maybe even a 1st + B prospect if he was having a very good season).

Maybe...but maybe not.  Skinner held ALL the cards because he could refuse ANY trade.  I don't think anyone was giving up much to get him as a rental. 

21 hours ago, JohnC said:

I agree with you that Eichel is instrumental in Skinner's goal production. But there is a flip side to that point: Skinner is allowing Eichel's talents to be better utilized. Without a finisher such as Skinner Eichel's production would not be nearly so great. I'm not arguing which player is more important to whom as I am stating that each player enhances the other to the benefit of the team.

I have no disagreement here.  We've all watched Jack leave dozens of helpers on the ice over his career because his teammates either don't have the sense or talent to finish the plays he creates.  No man is an island.  As great as Gretzky was...he was better with Kurri.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

 

The Buffalo Sabres will miss the playoffs this season. -- @bloodfury_96

Wrong. They have a seven-point cushion for a playoff berth now and they have 23 games remaining at home, where they are 12-4-2. The 3-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks at KeyBank Center on Saturday should do wonders for their team psyche, especially after back-to-back regulation losses against the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals. I'm buying the Sabres as being for real.

[BillsFan4]

44 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said:

Maybe...but maybe not.  Skinner held ALL the cards because he could refuse ANY trade.  I don't think anyone was giving up much to get him as a rental. 

I have no disagreement here.  We've all watched Jack leave dozens of helpers on the ice over his career because his teammates either don't have the sense or talent to finish the plays he creates.  No man is an island.  As great as Gretzky was...he was better with Kurri.

Yes, very true. 

 

I think it’s probably more likely that he’s open to more teams at th deadline than at the beginning of the season. But that’s just a guess. There’s really no way to know.

 

He was in a contract year, so if he is shipped out to somewhere he’s not familiar with for an entire season, I can see why he would be picky. He wanted to make sure that if he wasn’t in carolina, that he was setting himself up as best he could for his ability to earn a big contract. By the time the deadline comes, there’s not a whole lot of hockey left to be played. 

 

Plus, with Skinner never having made the playoffs, I’d think he’d have been open to any contender. 

 

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Jack Adams Award

 

The candidates: Phil Housley, Buffalo; Bill Peters, Calgary; Claude Julien, Montreal; Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay; Mike Babcock, Toronto; Paul Maurice, Winnipeg; Barry Trotz, N.Y. Islanders.

 

My take: What’s funny is that I’m guessing Cooper, Babcock and Maurice actually don’t get a sniff at season’s end even if their teams end up 1-2-3 in the standings. This award is almost exclusively about awarding the coaches on teams which surprised/overachieved. And I mean, how could you not give it to Gerard Gallant a year ago? Of course, he was the logical choice on a historical expansion team. But it’s not like he’s gotten dumb a year later and yet with the Golden Knights no longer the most fanciful story and the team “just” a playoff team, well, watch how Gallant won’t get hardly any votes. And somehow Cooper or Babcock or Maurice aren’t having great years? OK, my rant is over.

 

My pick: In keeping with the spirit of how this award is handed out, hard not to think Housley isn’t your runaway leader right now for coach of the year. And good on him, like his young core of players he, too, came back with lessons learned from last season. The surprising Sabres are as good a story as any in the NHL right now.

[JohnC]

42 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said:

 

I have no disagreement here.  We've all watched Jack leave dozens of helpers on the ice over his career because his teammates either don't have the sense or talent to finish the plays he creates.  No man is an island.  As great as Gretzky was...he was better with Kurri.

Another obvious person who is a beneficiary of Skinner's shooting skills is Reinhart. Because he is first and foremost a passer the presence of Skinner has elevated his point production and put him in a better position to garner a rich contract when his bridge deal ends. The point that is being made by you and others is that getting the right fit of player on a unit has a tremendous repercussion for the rest of the line or defensive pairing. 

 

Another player that has made a major difference and didn't cost us anything is Bogo. I'm not arguing that he is our best defenseman but because he is now healthy and is added to the top two pairing mix it has increased the effectiveness of the top two pairings and upgraded the lower pairings. And if you add Pilut to the group (who also didn't cost us any assets) the defensive corps has been dramatically upgraded from being a previous liability to being an anchoring part of the team. (As I have stated before I don't see Pilut being send back down to Rochester. I like him a lot. He is a Housley type of defenseman. ) What a difference a year makes!

[BillsFan4]

14 hours ago, JohnC said:

 

If Skinner expressed a desire to play on the west coast would the Sabres have dealt for him? Considering what they gave up for him I think they still would have made the deal with the hope that playing on the Sabres and with Jack would better position themselves to sign a deal with them. These type of situations which to force transactions happen all the time in hockey. We had a similar situation with Evander Kane. We got what we could for him which wasn't much other than improve our cap situation. 

 

With respect to William Nylander next year either he or one of the sharp shooters on the Maple Leafs may be moved because of the cap stress when they negotiate with a number of their young and talented players entering their contract years. That's going to be interesting to see how they handle that situation. I think they might still move Nylander and try to get back a good defenseman and balance out their roster for the playoffs. 

 

 

 

I had never heard Skinner didn’t want to be there. 

 

What i read happened is this (I’ve been following this story since they got a new owner. This is the best I can piece the timeline together...): 

 

The new owner (Tom Dundon) took over in January. He had already been working behind the scenes and came in guns blazing wanting to make changes. He felt the culture needed to change because it had been 9yrs without playoffs, and felt drastic action was needed. 

 

Carolina started exploring the option of trading Skinner at the end of last season. Ron Francis was a cautious GM, couldn’t find a deal he liked so no move was made. And as I understand it, didn’t feel that moving Skinner was a priority. 

 

Tom Dundon then “re-assigns” Francis, effectively firing him without firing him (he’s later let go) because he was too cautious and Dundon wanted action. 

 

Don Waddell is appointed new GM, is given the mandate to take action now and continues trying to trade Skinner over the summer, along with a few other guys.

 

They are now openly stating that they want to trade Jeff Skinner (and I believe they may have even approached him/his agent for a list of teams). 

This continues over the summer. 

 

As the summer went on and Carolina continued trying to trade Skinner, he and his agent told the team they they also felt that it was best that he moved on at this point. 

 

 

The way I understand it though, It was carolina who initiated trade talks and I don’t think it was over a new contract. 

 

Now, I know Don Waddell said that he didn’t think Skinner would re-sign. But he also said that they never even tried to approach Skinner to negotiate a new contract. 

 

From an athletic article (inside the war room with Tom Dundon. I can link it if you have a subscription) the Hurricanes felt that had cheaper internal replacements for Skinner (the article said they weren’t willing to pay the market rate for numerous RFAs/UFAs. Dundon is cheap). There’s also quotes in that article from Dundon on his desire to change the culture, and how it would only happen through action on their part. 

 

 

Anyway.... that’s what I’ve pieced together from the articles and interviews I’ve read/heard. 

 

 

I’m just glad that, for whatever reason, Carolina decided to trade Skinner and he listed buffalo as one of his preferred destinations! lol 

 

Like you said though, now they have to get him signed. 

 

 

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

I had never heard Skinner didn’t want to be there. 

 

What i read happened is this (I’ve been following this story since they got a new owner. This is the best I can piece the timeline together...): 

 

The new owner (Tom Dundon) took over in January. He had already been working behind the scenes and came in guns blazing wanting to make changes. He felt the culture needed to change because it had been 9yrs without playoffs, and felt drastic action was needed. 

 

Carolina started exploring the option of trading Skinner at the end of last season. Ron Francis was a cautious GM, couldn’t find a deal he liked so no move was made. And as I understand it, didn’t feel that moving Skinner was a priority. 

 

Tom Dundon then “re-assigns” Francis, effectively firing him without firing him (he’s later let go) because he was too cautious and Dundon wanted action. 

 

Don Waddell is appointed new GM, is given the mandate to take action now and continues trying to trade Skinner over the summer, along with a few other guys.

 

They are now openly stating that they want to trade Jeff Skinner (and I believe they may have even approached him/his agent for a list of teams). 

This continues over the summer. 

 

As the summer went on and Carolina continued trying to trade Skinner, he and his agent told the team they they also felt that it was best that he moved on at this point. 

 

 

The way I understand it though, It was carolina who initiated trade talks and I don’t think it was over a new contract. 

 

Now, I know Don Waddell said that he didn’t think Skinner would re-sign. But he also said that they never even tried to approach Skinner to negotiate a new contract. 

 

From an athletic article (inside the war room with Tom Dundon. I can link it if you have a subscription) the Hurricanes felt that had cheaper internal replacements for Skinner (the article said they weren’t willing to pay the market rate for numerous RFAs/UFAs. Dundon is cheap). There’s also quotes in that article from Dundon on his desire to change the culture, and how it would only happen through action on their part. 

 

 

Anyway.... that’s what I’ve pieced together from the articles and interviews I’ve read/heard. 

 

 

I’m just glad that, for whatever reason, Carolina decided to trade Skinner and he listed buffalo as one of his preferred destinations! lol 

 

Like you said though, now they have to get him signed. 

 

 

It wasn't a secret that Carolina was looking for an out from him. They were shopping a player with a no-trade or partial no-trade clause. His contract was expiring and he was going to be a free agent. The team wasn't looking to secure him with a bonanza contract. That was evident for quite awhile to all the parties involved. Because of the trade clause in his contract he was to a degree determining where he was most likely going to go to. 

 

This trade was not a surprise to Skinner. In fact, he had a say where he was going to be dealt because he provided the list of the locations he was willing to be dealt to. In this case it is futile to argue who was the responsible party for the trade because it became evident to the player what his standing was with the organization. It's like a relationship that runs it course and there is nothing left in the tank to resurrect the exhausted relationship. It's not so much whose fault it was or why, it just is. 

 

The Skinner scenario was very similar to the Kane scenario. All the parties knew what the outcome was generally going to be before the trade was made. There is little oddity to it because it is a common occurrence in the hockey business. 

 

 

[shrader]

I love the idea that Dundon wanted big change but then they made internal hires at both GM and coach. That’s some huge culture change right there. And last week there was a comment from Dundon that they want scoring and will never draft a defenseman in the first round as long as he owns the team. I better get to as many games as I can because they won’t be here much longer if his cluelessness remains in control. Fortunately Buffalo is in town twice this year. 

[Alaska Darin]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

I love the idea that Dundon wanted big change but then they made internal hires at both GM and coach. That’s some huge culture change right there. And last week there was a comment from Dundon that they want scoring and will never draft a defenseman in the first round as long as he owns the team. I better get to as many games as I can because they won’t be here much longer if his cluelessness remains in control. Fortunately Buffalo is in town twice this year. 

I can understand minimizing defense at the top of the draft because guys like Dahlin come along so infrequently but putting absolutes in place is not smart business.  You really wouldn't have drafted Dahlin?  Really?

 

I guess we'll see how smart that is...

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Game Preview: 12/27/18 at St. Louis

 

GAME-DAY RESOURCES

 

Game Notes

NHL Stats

Press Clips

 

LAST GAME
Saturday, December 22
Anaheim 0 at Buffalo 3
Goals: Dahlin, Skinner, Sheary
Goalie: Ullmark (40 saves/40 shots)
PP: 1/4; PK: 3/3; Shots: Anaheim 40 – Buffalo 33

 

CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 147)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Scott Wilson (ankle, Oct. 4; injured reserve) – 37 games
Casey Nelson (upper body, Dec. 8; injured reserve) – 8 games
Nathan Beaulieu (lower body, Dec. 16) – 4 games
Jason Pominville (undisclosed, Dec. 21; injured reserve) – 2 games

 

TRANSACTIONS IN PAST 7 DAYS
12/21: Activated D Jake McCabe and D Lawrence Pilut from IR; Placed F Jason Pominville on IR
12/22: Assigned D Brendan Guhle to Rochester (AHL)

 

UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, Dec. 29: Boston at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 31: NY Islanders at Buffalo, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 3: Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 5: Buffalo at Boston, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 8: New Jersey at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

 

TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES at BLUES

• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Blues this season.
• Next meeting: Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Buffalo
• Last meeting: St. Louis defeated Buffalo 1-0 in St. Louis on Feb. 3
• The Sabres are 1-7-2 in their last 10 games vs. the Blues, 1-5-4 on the road.
• This is the 119th game all-time between Buffalo and St. Louis; Buffalo has a 46-55-17 series record.
• The Sabres are 15-32-11 on the road against the Blues all-time.
   

Morning Skate: December 27, 2018 from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM at Enterprise Center

 

Preview: Blues vs. Sabres

 

 

TEAM SNAPSHOTS

 

BLUES David Perron, Tyler Bozak and Oskar Sundqvist scored for the Blues and Jake Allen did the rest with a stellar 28-save performance - especially under heavy pressure in the second period - as the Blues handed Calgary a 3-1 defeat at the Scotiabank Saddledome in their last game on Saturday afternoon.

 

The win capped off a 2-1-0 road trip for the Blues to Western Canada.

 

St. Louis now has collected points in six of the last nine games (5-3-1).

 

"It's a great feeling for us, especially with how the year has gone," Allen said after Saturday's game. "To be able to get two of three on this road trip, with three or four days off … if we would've lost this one, it would've been a tougher break thinking about that loss the whole time. It was a good way to finish."

 

The Blues had four full days off for the holiday break.

 

SABRES The Buffalo Sabres finished dead-last in the 2017-18 season, but it's certainly been a different story in 2018-19.

 

Through 37 games this season, the Sabres have a 21-11-5 record, good for third in the Atlantic Division. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs rank ahead of the Sabres in the Atlantic.

 

Jack Eichel is leading his club with 48 points this season (14 goals, 34 assists) - a full 10 points ahead of the next closest, Jeff Skinner, who was acquired in August in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

 

The Sabres also have 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) from the top overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft, Rasmus Dahlin.

 

The Sabres also have three former Blues currently on the roster - Carter Hutton joined the Sabres as a free agent and is 13-10-2 with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .917 save-percentage this season. Vladimir Sobotka, who went to Buffalo in the deal that brought Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis, has three goals and two assists in 34 games this season. Tage Thompson, who also was acquired by Buffalo in the O'Reilly deal, has four goals and three assists in 30 games.

Edited December 27, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Jack Eichel Has Big Plans for the Resurgent Sabres

 

 

By ALEX PREWITT  - December 27, 2018

 

Setting down his turkey burger, Jack Eichel gazes through the windows of a downtown Buffalo restaurant and once again imagines the future. He sees a surrounding riverside area choked with game-day traffic, blue-and-white Sabres jerseys shuffling toward KeyBank Center beneath an early-summer sky. He pictures live music blaring and cameras panning overhead, broadcasting crowd shots to a national audience. He hears chants—LET'S! GO! BUFF-A-LO!—and smells beer. After all, Eichel notes, "Buffalonians don't mind the tailgate."

 

He visualizes because that is how he has always pursued goals. Growing up in North Chelmsford, Mass., Eichel would tack articles about local athletes receiving college scholarships to the walls of his family's basement, extra motivation while cranking out deadlifts before middle school. Even when the 2015 draft was years away, the background image of his iPod Touch was a picture mosaic of highly regarded prospects, including the only one who would actually get picked ahead of him, Edmonton's Connor McDavid. He also programmed the device to deliver a daily reminder along with his morning alarm: HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THE NHL?

 

Now that Eichel is there—not to mention captaining the insurgent Sabres at age 22, burnishing his Hart Trophy credentials with 48 points in 37 games, averaging 20:16 per night of all-situation hockey, and generally realizing his potential as the savior for one of pro sports' most woebegone cities—he is singularly focused on an even loftier goal. "Constantly thinking about what it'd be like," he says, nodding toward the nearby waterfront. "First of all, to be in the playoffs. Then to get a good run going would be awesome."

 

Edited December 27, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

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7. Buffalo Sabres (21-11-5)

 

Total points: 124

 

Last week: No. 7

 

2018 biggest moment: The Sabres select defenseman Rasmus Dahlin with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on June 22 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

 

2019 prediction: The Sabres will reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

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PROJECTED LINEUP
 

Forwards

Schwartz - Schenn - Tarasenko
Steen - O'Reilly - Perron
Maroon - Bozak - Thomas
Nolan - Barbashev - Sundqvist

 

Defense

Edmundson - Parayko
Bouwmeester - Bortuzzo
Dunn - Butler

 

Goalie

Allen

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[GETTOTHE50]

Got to take Reinhart off the top line at this point. He’s too inconsistent