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DENVER – Jack Eichel had a big success and gave it a Saturday. He was still in the locker room after the match.
The word has been out on the Buffalo Sabers for several weeks. Take them physically. Work with Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin, in particular, to crush the Sabers. There will not be much answer. Who on this list, especially among the attackers, has that kind of sand and sandpaper in their game?
As a result of Saturday's 3-0 defeat at the Colorado Avalanche in Pepsi, it's clear that Eichel is tired of the passive nature of his team. The locker doors were closed a few minutes longer than normal and when they were open, Eichel was sitting and waiting for the media to remove some items.
After making a start and end in the defense of Colorado defender Nikita Zadorov in the first period, Eichel demolished the Avs center, Carl Soderberg, with illegal head control at the end of the second period. It is conceivable that Eichel is facing his first career hearing with the NHL's Player Safety Department.
The replays seemed to show Eichel "picking" Soderberg's header in the neutral zone with just under 5½ minutes remaining in the second period. This is reminiscent of the game that resulted in a two-game suspension last month for Edmonton star, Connor McDavid, against New York Islanders defender Nick Leddy.
Eichel receives a penalty for a blow to the head. does not look good #sabres #goavsgo pic.twitter.com/NZJitRAgtv
– Buffalo Sabers Games and Goals (@SabresPlays) March 9, 2019
"You have to play physically," Eichel said. "I mean, it's a physics game, no … it's that.It's all that's it.Complete your checks.Other teams like to do it to us." do not see why we would not do it in return – everyone can finish one check and make it difficult for the other team. "
The Sabers coach, Phil Housley, did not think that Eichel would get the slightest look from the league on his success.
"I'm not worried at all," Housley said. "From the first call against Zadorov, the whistle sounded – it's a blow to the head and we only go out with a two-minute power play."
The Avalanche, of course, also had his opinion.
"He's coming from the other side of the rink and he's just his head," said Colorado coach Jared Bednar, about Eichel. Officials "watch it live and some guys can look in the opposite direction, but now that I'm looking at it, it's a bad shot, it's all in the head."
Eichel pleaded the innocence of his shot.
"I thought he was just reaching in. I do not know, I would have to look at him, to be honest with you," Eichel said. "I'm trying to protect myself, it's a physical game, I think it's going to hit me."
"It looks like they've sometimes run a little bit, if I want to be in the vanguard, I might as well restrain myself a bit, I have to protect myself."
Eichel was aggravated by the blow that he took on Zadorov's boards, which was clearly after a whistle for the offsides. Zadorov, the former first choice Buffalo draft traded here against Ryan O'Reilly in 2015, had a lot of head also and even punctuated him by tearing Eichel's helmet.
"He hits me after they (bleed), excuse my tongue, whistle," said a disgusted Eichel. "It's just anything."
The closest player to Zadorov was Casey Nelson, who made his best impression of Paul Gaustad by skating to Zadorov, standing in front of him and not doing much else. Credit, however, to the rest of the Sabers on the ice.
Marco Scandella charged, grabbed Zadorov by the face and pulled him down. Sam Reinhart threw punches into the pile and Jeff Skinner also sprinted to the fray but was cut by Avs Mikko Rantanen's winger. Skinner therefore briefly hired him to get a brutal call.
"I'm trying to get there as fast as I can," Reinhart said. "The whistle is clear, try to give it as many shots as I can at that moment.
"I really did not like the tube," Skinner said. "Everyone on the ice did not like the hit and there was a little melee."
Nikita Zadorov with a delay? hit on Eichel. #sabres #goavsgo pic.twitter.com/xJAOuQloM2
– Buffalo Sabers Games and Goals (@SabresPlays) March 9, 2019
Housley did not want to enter into a deep discussion about the physical character of the Sabers or his absence. But it really started with the 1-0 defeat in Dallas on January 30, as the Stars worked a lot on Dahlin. Curiously, Dallas arrives in town on Tuesday for the next Sabers game.
Buffalo must be better than in this one. The hit Zadorov-Eichel did not generate repression. The Sabers scored nine shots on goal in the first 53 minutes of play and were outpaced by the game, 43-18, at one of their most offensive offensive of the season.
Nathan MacKinnon scored one goal and two assists for Colorado, who played his first game without injured captain and 33-goal scorer Gabriel Landeskog.
"Of course, it's frustrating, everyone should be frustrated," said Reinhart. "Everyone should be a little embarrassed at this point."
The Sabers have fallen to 30-29-9 in total and 2-8-2 in the last 12 games. When asked if he had to appeal to personal pride for what was left of a season now lost, Reinhart did not dispute this idea.
"You start talking, there are 14-15 games left, it's hanging out when things do not go as planned," Reinhart said. "As narrow as you can stay focused, do what you can any day.As soon as you start looking at 14 remaining players, efforts like this one are growing in a hurry."
Thought that gave sobering, indeed.
Sabers Notebook: the offensive takes the afternoon
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