Eichel healthy, happy with Golden Knights
LASVEGAS—JackEichel is finally having fun playing hockey again, and he couldn’t beany more thankful.
A little more than a year afterhaving an artificial disk replacement procedure on his neck, he’s at the top of his game and loves his new home with the Vegas Golden Knights.
“It’s been a lot of fun coming to the rink every day and being with these guys,” said Eichel,who had 26 points in 21 games entering the weekend. “Rarely do you get a group that is completely bought in together and I feel like that’s howwe are.”
Eichel is on pace to finish with 101 points after scoring a goal and adding an assist in Wednesday night’s 4-1 home win over Ottawa. His career high is 82 points in 2018-19 withBuffalo.
His divorce from the Sabres is well-documented and left a sour taste in everyone’smouth on both sides.
And when Eichel returned to Buffalo near the end of last season, he didn’t take kindly to the not-so-friendly welcome he got from Sabres fans, who showered him with boos everytime he stepped on the ice.
This season, the 26-year-old dynamo was better prepared mentally.
“I think this year just going into Buffalo I had a different expectation of what was gonnahappen,” Eichel said. “I think last year I wasn’t sure how I was going to be received. I think there was probablypart of me that hoped that I was given more of a positive reception, but having went through it last year and learningfrom that experience, I just tried to go in with a different mindset this year. Obviously, Iknew what the reception was going to be, so there wasn’t anything that was going to surpriseme.”
Eichel skated out of Buffalo with the last laugh this time. He scored his third career hat trick — first with Vegas — while adding an assist in a 7-4 win that capped a 5-0-0 road tripfor the Golden Knights.
“You know that’s gonna be an emotional game at the end of the trip, and you’re just trying to find whatever energy you have left in your system to play that one,” Eichel said. “Emotionally, it doesn’t take much to get up and go play your opposing team. I’m sure if you ask any guy here that’s moved on from somewhere else, it’s always easy to get up and emotionally be connected to the game.”
Eichel has been dialed in since the season opener, getting at least one point in 16 of theteam’s first 21 games.
The chemistry in Vegas, he said, comes from a locker room that’s been known to build friendships and bonds since the franchise entered the NHL in 2017.
“It’s a credit to all the guys that are in here,” Eichel said. “Nobody’s on their own page.”
Eichel said it’s been quite some time since he’s enjoyed driving to the rink every day, and traveling with teammates, being on planes and buses, and actually establishing friendships with guys who bring their own prestige to one of the best rosters in the league.
Saturday’s games
Lindy Ruff won his 800th game as an NHL coach as New Jersey defeated Washington, 5-1, in Newark, N.J. — a game in which Jack Hughes registered his first career hat trick. Ruff is the fifth coach to reach 800 wins.Said Ruff, pulling out an old line: “It means I’ve been around a long time.”
• Edmonton showed just how prolific it can be, scoring four times in the third period Saturday to beat the New York Rangers, 4-3, in New York. Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play — his 12th goal of the season — with just over two minutes to play for the deciding goal.
• The Flyers lost their 10th in a row as Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier scored 22 seconds apart early in the third period to break open what became a 52 win for the Islanders in New York.
•St. Louis overcame a three-goal, third-period deficit and beat Florida, 5-4, in overtime when Jordan Kyrou scored his second goal of the game.