NHL - News

Buffalo: Sabres rookie Jack Eichel gave the fans at First Niagara Center a lot to think about heading into training camp with his performance against the Boston Bruins on Monday. Eichel, the second pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, scored the game-winning goal with 37 seconds left in overtime that gave the Sabres a 3-2 win in the finale of the Sabres' Prospect Challenge. Eichel took the puck up the right wing side and skated past Bruins forward Anton Blidh before he took a wrist shot that got past Bruins goalie Zane McIntyre on the far side of the net. Eichel's game-winner came during the 3-on-3 overtime period and saw him on the ice with Reinhart, who was the Sabres' 2014 first-round draft pick. Cunneyworth switched Nicholas Baptiste with Reinhart on Eichel's line along with Eichel's former Boston University teammate, Evan Rodrigues, late in the second period and kept them together through the remainder of the game. That line helped the Sabres turn the game around after they were down 2-0 after the first period. Sabres forward Vaclav Karabacek made it 2-1 in the second period, but it was when Bruins forward Zachary Senyshyn took a holding penalty late in the third when Eichel helped tie the game. Eichel received a pass from defenseman Jake McCabe and set up in the faceoff circle to the right of McIntyre. Eichel then floated a saucer pass across the zone through the Bruins defense to defenseman Brycen Martin, who scored on a one-timer with 5:45 left in the period. Eichel finished with three points in two games during the inaugural Prospects Challenge and helped the Sabres win both. Buffalo defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-2 on Saturday. Eichel's performance against the Bruins, however, gave him a good jumping off point before training camp begins later this week.


"I think the poise of Sam and the ability of [Eichel] to finish some of the plays, they complement each other. They're guys that see each other and see the ice very well. It's a natural pairing. And Rodrigues, he's a guy that can finish and has that tenacity as well. I think it's the manner in which [Eichel] does it. There's calm, there's poise, [his pass] thought out beforehand. That's a pass that might not make it if you don't elevate it a little bit or find that perfect sweet spot. It's pure ability." Cunneyworth said.
"I don't think I'm ever going to forget that pass. It was so perfect. He can make plays that some pros can't. At such a young age, it's such an exceptional talent. He just brings the energy everywhere. In the room and off the ice and even on the ice, he's a true diamond and Buffalo is going to be real happy with him in the future." Martin said.
"[Eichel] knows when he wants the puck and knows what he wants to do with it before he gets it. I think that's a key to have on the power play and it's fun being out there with a special player such as him." Guhle said.
Minnesota: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter spent a portion of Monday working on ways to improve a power play that was ranked 27th in the NHL last season.
They had the help of Adam Oates, who was Parise's assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils from 2010-12. Oates, a Hall of Fame center who had 1,420 points in 1,337 games, watched the Wild's informal practice in Edina, Minn., and afterward worked privately with Parise and Suter for more than an hour. Oates, who was a co-coach for the Devils last season, worked with Parise and Suter on one-timers, plays around the net and entries.
"Everything he says just makes sense. I've known him since I've played for him in New Jersey and we've kept in touch and he watches our games and our power plays, so we communicate during the season. He's probably the smartest hockey guy that I've ever been around. [Oates] did wonders working with our D in Jersey, and Ryan knows that he can improve getting the puck up at the top and hammering it and shooting it and getting those one-timers on the power play. For me, I need to work on one-timers from out further and try to get some shots on goal from outside. The biggest thing about [Oates] when I played for him is he always broadened my game beyond just being around the net." Parise told the Star Tribune.