It is Jack Eichel Homecoming Week 2.0 for the Buffalo Sabres. Will they once again best their former team captain? Here are a few bold predictions.
On March 10th, 2022, the Buffalo Sabres spoiled Jack Eichel’s first homecoming in a thrilling 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The victory was a special one, as Alex Tuch, who was part of the Jack Eichel Trade, stole the puck from Eichel himself in the game’s closing moments and sunk the game-sealing goal.
This year, the Knights are one of the best teams in hockey and Eichel is one of the best players. But guess what? The Sabres showed last week that they are no slouches when it comes to playing elite hockey teams, even without their top players.
So will the Sabres beat Eichel’s Knights? Here are three bold predictions for the week.
1 – Buffalo Sabres crush Arizona
While I have my reservations that the Sabres could fall into a potential trap game against the Arizona Coyotes, I am further confident that they can pull off a huge win in preparation for their showdown with Eichel. An 8-3 outing is farfetched, but the Sabres could win this game by five goals. Overall, I’m saying the Sabres take it 7-2, with Tage scoring four points in the contest.
2 – Sabres AGAIN upset Eichel
This time around, I’m going to predict that Eichel has a big game. A big game as in a hat trick. But his Knights blow a 3-1 lead in the game’s last five minutes, with Tage, Tuch, and Skinner connecting for a goal while Casey Mittelstadt, who has played better than most of us thought he would, sinks the game-tying goal with a minute to go.
Then in overtime, Tuch seals the deal with a 4-3 win over Eichel and they once again send him back to the desert empty-handed.
3 – Sabres finish their homestand 3-0-1
Following the games against the Coyotes and Knights, the Sabres square off with the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. The Bruins game is my big concern, and it won’t surprise me if the Sabres drop one there, but they will do it in overtime.
Then they faceoff with my favorite non-Sabre, J.T. Miller, and his Vancouver Canucks. And this is a game Buffalo should win handedly.
Overall, the Sabres can get back on track this week after losing two games that should not have cooled them down momentum-wise. Given the way they played Carolina and Tampa, even without Dahlin for the latter, gives me confidence they can and will take seven points at this homestand and come out of it healthier than they were entering it. From a win-loss standpoint, this is a rare occurrence where bold predictions are what I actually think is going to happen.
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