Top Five Moments of the Buffalo Sabres’ Season So Far
No matter what team you follow, the NHL season always has its ups and downs. That’s certainly true for the Buffalo Sabres in recent years, including this season.
The season is now more than halfway through – with the Sabres now 50 games in – and while there’s still plenty that lies ahead, there have already been some memorable moments in the past.
With the NHL All-Star Break pretty much over, and the Sabres returning to practice, then game action on Wednesday, it seems like as good a time as ever to reflect back.
What would you say were the top moments of the Buffalo Sabres season thus far?
Unfortunately, since I’m sticking to the top five moments here, some of the other good moments from the Buffalo Sabres season so far had to fall by the wayside, such as Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane‘s return to Winnipeg, or Sabres prospect Will Borgen not only making Team USA for the World Juniors, but excelling in his position.
It’s easy to focus on the fact that the Buffalo Sabres still may not have the ideal record this season, or be in the best position heading into the month of February and what lies ahead, but there’s been a lot of great moments so far, too.
After some deliberation, these are the moments I’ve chosen as the top five moments of the Buffalo Sabres season thus far.
5. Eichel’s NHL Debut
The day that Jack Eichel made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres was a special day; there’s no doubt about that.
Just as it was a memorable day when Sam Reinhart made his NHL debut last season – anytime a player makes his debut is a big deal, and it’s especially big when it’s a player as highly touted as Eichel.
The then-18-year-old didn’t disappoint, either. Even though it was only his first NHL action, he didn’t seem out of place. He fit right into the team and even scored his first career NHL goal that night back in October against the Senators.
Eichel finished the night a minus-1 with three shots on goal and just shy of 22 minutes ice time.
It was only one game, of course, but it was a solid effort from the youngster, and a good sign of things to come for the Buffalo Sabres rookie.
He’d follow it up with another goal just a few short days later, in his third-ever NHL game, but looking back, it’ll always be that first game that sticks out: the beginning of something great.
Just wait; twenty years down the line, we’ll look back fondly on this day and say “Well gosh, I remember when Eichel made his NHL debut!”
4. Reinhart’s Hat Trick
Another memorable moments of the Buffalo Sabres season thus far: Sam Reinhart’s first career NHL hat trick.
That happened just recently, back on January 10, 2016, Reinhart registered three goals against the Winnipeg Jets, finishing the night a plus-2 with five shots on goal.
It was a monumental moment for the youngster as he helped lead the Sabres in a 4-2 win over the Jets.
It was an important win for the Sabres, too, ending their six-game losing streak with a much-needed victory.
After not seeing a full NHL season last year and being sent back to his junior club in Kootenay, Reinhart still seemed to have an air of mystery surrounding him.
His potential seemed endless, but what he was actually going to accomplish at the NHL level remained to be seen.
Nonetheless, Reinhart came into this season with a bang and has proven himself a valuable asset to the Buffalo Sabres. He and Eichel are a rookie tandem to dream of, and they could be great for the Sabres for many, many years to come.
Plus, let’s be realistic here.
It’s awesome anytime a guy scores a hat trick, and even more special when it’s the first of his young career, which takes us to our next moment…
3. Risto’s First Hat Trick
Before Reinhart notched his first NHL hat trick, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen did the same, exactly a month prior.
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It was a great effort from Ristolainen that night against the Flames, even though the Sabres got the loss in the end.
You don’t expect to see hat tricks from defensemen very often, but if there was ever a Sabres blueliner who was going to do it, Risto seems like the obvious choice.
He’d already been proving himself as an offensive threat, and the hat trick game just put the cherry on top.
Ristolainen also set Sabres history, becoming the first defenseman in team history to score three goals in a single period, and the first Sabres player to do so since 2008.
Ristolainen is now only the sixth defenseman in Sabres history to record a hat trick, and just the second to complete it in one period. (The other: Jerry Korab).
He’s also the first Sabres defenseman to record a hat trick since 1988.
Ristolainen wasn’t even alive then.
Taking all that into consideration, I’d be hard-pressed to say that it wasn’t one of the top five moments of the Buffalo Sabres season thus far.
2. Ullmark’s Debut
Another highlight of the Buffalo Sabres season thus far: the debut of Linus Ullmark.
Up until now, Ullmark was, in many people’s eyes, a big question mark. Having played over in Europe and having found much success there sounded great for the young goaltender.
But Sabres fans wondered what he could do in North America, and how he would fare in the NHL.
Well, we got the chance to see both of those things this season, as Ullmark made his North American debut with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, then eventually made his NHL debut.
Though his first game ended in a loss, Ullmark then recorded two straight wins with the Sabres. He came in at a time when the Sabres were short on goaltending and really managed to step up.
In fact, he did it so well that many hoped the team would keep him up in the NHL despite Robin Lehner’s inevitable eventual return.
Alas, in the end, Ullmark had to be sent back to the Amerks, but his time in the NHL was certainly memorable.
Overall, he appeared in 19 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres during his first recall, going 7-10-2 with a 2.58 GAA and .915 save percentage.
1. Eichel’s 4-Point Night
The night of December 26, 2015 was already set up to be a memorable night for Buffalo Sabres rookie Jack Eichel.
It was to be his return to Boston, where he’d been playing college hockey prior to being drafted by the Sabres, as well as his “hometown” debut as a Chelmsford native.
Eichel decided to make it an extra special night, putting up four points en route to a 6-3 Sabres win.
The game saw Eichel set a single-game career high for points. He tied the game at three with his first goal of the night, then added a second via the empty net later in the game.
Eichel also registered assists on goals by Evander Kane and Ryan O’Reilly that night.
He played 17:42 in front of his home crowd at TD Garden that evening, a crowd undoubtedly filled with family, friends and former teammates.
As a result of all that- plus his three shots on goal and overall plus-2 overall – Eichel was named first star of the night.
It was certainly a night to remember for the Buffalo Sabres rookie, and certainly one of the most memorable moments of the season thus far for the team.
Next: Girgensons Returns In A Big Way
So – do you agree with my picks? What other moments would you have chosen?