Skinner, Sabres loving winning ways after years of frustration
Jeff Skinner was answering questions after practice earlier this week when it was mentioned long-suffering Buffalo Sabres fans would probably like to see the pending unrestricted free agent stick around beyond this season.
All he could do was smile.
“I know, I’ve heard,” said the red-hot forward. “I’m having a lot of fun.”
And so is a hard-luck sports city craving a winner.
It was widely assumed that Buffalo, a team thought to be at least one season from legitimate playoff contention, would flip Skinner at the NHL trade deadline after acquiring him in a deal with Carolina in August.
But 25 games into the schedule, the Sabres sit 176-2, have won 10 straight games and were first in the overall standings ahead of Wednesday’s action.
Skinner, meanwhile, is tied for the league lead with 19 goals and is on pace to score 62 times this season.
“My team’s playing well, so individuals start to have success,” he said conservatively. “I’m thankful Buffalo gave me an opportunity to get a fresh start.”
That reset has come on Buffalo’s top line with captain Jack Eichel and veteran winger Jason Pominville.
Skinner scored 204 goals and added 175 assists for 379 points in 579 games over eight seasons with Carolina — a tally that led to exactly to exactly zero playoff appearances.
The Toronto native has those 19 goals (with five coming in his last four games) this season to go along with eight assists for 27 points, one back of Eichel’s team-leading 28 (five goals, 23 assists) and 10 ahead of Pominville’s 18 (nine goals, nine assists).
He’s happy to fit in on a team that finished last in 2017-18 and has missed the playoffs seven straight springs, but is now on a 10game winning streak for the first time since the Sabres claimed the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s best regular-season record in 2006-07.
The Vegas Golden Knights stunned the hockey world last season as a 109point expansion team that made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup final.
It’s still early, but these Sabres are starting to have that type of feel.