The Buffalo Sabres got three points out of their young center Saturday evening, but those points don’t tell the full story.
There was a bit of a playoff atmosphere inside the KeyBank Center Saturday evening when the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Obviously, said atmosphere had nothing to do with the Sabres’ postseason odds, which currently stand at an impressive 0.0002% according to Sports Club Stats. No, the atmosphere in the arena last night was due to the rivalry that exists between the Sabres and their neighbors to the north, and the fact that so many damn Leafs fans managed to invade the KeyBank Center and do their best to make the Leafs feel right at home.
For whatever reasons, Buffalo Sabres fans might be okay with selling tickets to Leafs fans, but clearly Jack Eichel is not okay with taking the ice and seeing so many Leafs sweaters in the stands, and the results speak for themselves: Eichel put two in by himself Saturday evening and picked up one assist, leading the Sabres to a satisfying 5-2 win on Buffalo’s home ice.
The fact that young Mr. Eichel can put up points while defending home ice against a division rival is nice and all, but the highlight of the night had to be Eichel’s celebration following his second goal of the evening:
Watch it again in slow-motion – it’s even better:
Slo-mo of Jack Eichel's celebration with the Leafs fans pic.twitter.com/0pPP1eVI65
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) March 26, 2017
It is easy to call last night’s game a “meaningless” one for the Buffalo Sabres, but don’t let the fact that the Sabres are going to miss the playoffs fool you into thinking the final eight games of the regular season will have no meaning for the players. Kyle Okposo said so Friday when he discussed how terrible it felt to know that the team would not be making the playoffs. Robin Lehner said so when he explained, “there’s a lot of eyes on us right now. I think the guys up top are really looking at who wants to be on this team going forward. It’s up to each and every one of us to try and make a statement and show that you want to be here and care for this team.” (Courtesy The Buffalo News)
But actions speak louder than words, and Jack Eichel’s actions spoke volumes. By skating right at a contingent of Toronto Maple Leafs fans who were sitting at the glass, Eichel was displaying the kind of pride, fight and leadership that Buffalo Sabres players, front office executives, and fans should draw inspiration from all summer long.