Jack Eichel overcame a shaky second period to deliver a highlight-reel goal, demonstrating his growth as the leader of the Buffalo Sabres in his fifth NHL season.
After a turnover-filled middle frame, Eichel bounced back with a stunning end-to-end rush, scoring the go-ahead goal 7:57 into the third period to lead Buffalo to a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
“I definitely made some bad turnovers,” Eichel admitted, referring to a mistake that led to goalie Linus Ullmark making a critical save to stop Paul Stastny from close range.
“But we just stuck with it. It’s a gutsy win. We needed that win,” Eichel said. He praised Ullmark for making crucial saves that kept Buffalo in the game.
Eichel’s decisive play came when Vegas was trapped in Buffalo’s end. With speed through the neutral zone, Eichel created a two-on-one, skated past defenseman Shea Theodore, and flipped the puck over Marc-Andre Fleury’s glove for his 28th goal of the season. The goal matched his career high and marked his sixth game-winner of the season.
The goal also made Eichel the first Sabres player in 27 years to reach 60 points in 46 or fewer games. The last players to do so were Alex Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine in the 1992-93 season.
Sabres teammate Kyle Okposo praised Eichel’s resilience: “He came back in the third and showed a lot of leadership. When the game was on the line, he took it over. That was special to see.”
Sam Reinhart contributed a goal and two assists, while Okposo and Curtis Lazar (empty-net goal) also scored. Ullmark made 24 saves as the Sabres secured their fourth win in six games.
The loss extended Vegas’ losing streak to four games, matching their longest in franchise history without earning a point.
“It’s tougher, especially when you’re losing to teams you know you’re better than,” said Vegas forward Mark Stone, noting the disparity in the standings between the two teams. “We’re a better hockey team, but we must find ways to score.”
Reilly Smith and Tomas Nosek scored for Vegas, and Fleury made 22 saves, missing a chance to tie Henrik Lundqvist for fifth place on the NHL’s all-time wins list with 458.
Fleury blamed himself for the decisive goal, saying he expected Eichel to pass rather than shoot: “I feel I opened up too much for him to get the goal there.”
Vegas missed several key opportunities, including Jonathan Marchessault’s failure to capitalize on an open net and Chandler Stephenson’s near-miss late in the game.
Buffalo capitalized on the power play, converting two of three opportunities, while Vegas struggled on special teams. The Sabres regained control after Smith tied the game at 2 with a power-play goal early in the third period.
Game Notes:
- Buffalo has scored 6 power-play goals in 14 chances over five games after converting just 2 of 29 in their previous 12 games.
- Marchessault returned to the Vegas lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury.
- Sabres C Tage Thompson underwent surgery for a shoulder injury and will miss the rest of the season.
- Vegas opened an eight-game road trip and will not play at home again until Feb. 8.
Up Next:
- Golden Knights: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
- Sabres: Visit the Dallas Stars on Thursday.