With the Blue vs Gold Scrimmage game behind all of us, the time has come to take a good look at the whole thing and recognize those who stood out, and those who missed the mark. The game as a whole was an entertaining one to watch for sure, and regardless of the overall performances of those who did not show as much as expected, there is still a very bright future in Buffalo.
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I took my seat in First Niagara Center last night with the distinct intention on keeping close tabs on two players in particular, Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel, but then again so was everyone else. For the entire game I was watching each of their moves as they tried to strategically outwit and out play one another. In the end, Sam Reinhart emerged victorious between the two of them. Don’t get me wrong now, Jack still played a very sound game, but Reinhart was able to lead his team in a much better way.
Jack Eichel did not so much underperform as he got outperformed. On top of that, Eichel could not seem to unify his team long enough to put together a push back against the Blue team. There was no support from the defense or any of his line mates and it did not allow him to flourish. A player can be as good as he can be, but without a team to support him, there will be no victory. That was the story of Eichel at the Scrimmage game. He put out his best effort and was making plays that should have resulted in more than missed chances, but his team did not follow through for him.
Thats why Eichel is going to be my honorable mention for this piece. He put in a great effort and did everything right, but he just couldn’t get enough going sadly. His play even had some frustrated fans calling him a “bust” during the game. Despite their obvious overreaction, he played a very good game. He was just playing with a skill level much higher than those playing alongside of him.
That brings us to our first standout for the scrimmage, Sam Reinhart.
Samson Reinhart
Reinhart did everything that was expected of him and more during the game last night. He did what he does best by being in the right place at the right time the entire night. His defensive responsibility was undeniable, minus the part where he had to tackle Jack Eichel in the slot to prevent him from having the scoring chance (Score one for Eichel on that one).
Besides the one smart penalty he took, Reinhart lit up the score sheet with two goals and an assist. His first goal came by finding open space beside the net and then crashing to the front in order to tap in the rebound. His assist came from a shot that could have gone in but was saved by the Gold net minder and later tapped in by his linemate. His second goal came on a two-on-one pass from William Carrier and he tapped it in without mistake.
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It was Reinhart’s overall play and his uncanny ability to be in the right place to make a play that kept team Blue in front for the entire night. Since last year, Reinhart has put on some weight and has much better skating ability. His shooting needs a little work, but his hands are slick as ever. At the end of the night, during the five man shootout, Reinhart shot first and deked out the goaltender to shovel in an easy shootout goal. It looked effortless and smooth, and that was reassuring.
The Second standout was a player I honestly did not think I would be mentioning. The shock of it came to me as I watched him stop the puck with poise and efficiency.
Jason Kasdorf
The net minder that was acquired in the Evander Kane trade was the strongest showing goaltender of the night. For a goaltender that I did not know much about, I did not expect such a strong showing from him.
Kasdorf was the starting goaltender for the Blue team and he found himself on the other end of some great scoring chances from the Gold team, including and especially one from Jack Eichel. Kasdorf faced off against Eichel in a penalty shot and stopped him cold after Eichel showed him some quick hands.
Kasdorf has had some focus on him through the week and it is evident that he truly believes that he can make it as an NHL goaltender. Though development camp is not the best place to determine that, it is a decent start. He held the Gold team scoreless during his time in the crease and he did so with great poise and skill. He was quick on his reactions and his reads of the play were flawless.
After last night, Kasdorf has made a believer out of me as to what he is capable of in the crease, and I’m sure Tim Murray caught on to it as well and is proud of his secondary acquisition from the Kane trade.
Not to seem like I am obsessing over the Blue team, but in reality the standouts were primarily on that team. The third, and final distinct standout was former second round pick Justin Bailey.
Justin Bailey
The Buffalo, New York native was a shining star last night, and he was the brightest light on the ice in my opinion. With all eyes on Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, Bailey commanded the attention of the crowd when was on the ice. He did everything that was possible for his position. He scored a highlight reel goal on a fake out of goaltender Cal Petersen in the first period, he was throwing checks towards anything that moved, and he was a vocal leader on the ice.
Bailey did what he needed to do in order for the Buffalo Sabres to consider him in the next year or so. He was a dominant force out on the ice for every shift and he gave a full effort on top of it. He is not a super scorer, but Bailey is a great power forward that can play alongside the likes of Sam Reinhart very well.
Being a local boy helps the love from the fans to flow out towards him, and he seemed to be feeding off of it the entire game. He was a train that could not be stopped and he literally ran over anyone in his way. If I were to pick a first star of the game for effort and overall play, I would have given it to Bailey for sure.
(Honorable mentions for good play but just below what these three did: Jack Eichel, Jake McCabe, Justin Kea)
So there you have it. These three players are the ones that stood out the most in the scrimmage game last night. They played their hearts out and left nothing on the table. As far as the future of the Buffalo Sabres is concerned, it is much brighter than once thought.
Next: New Player Profile: Jamie McGinn
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