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Quick Hits: Buffalo Sabres vs. Flyers / at Blue Jackets / vs. Blue Jackets

Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers
This photo looks cool, but the Sabres play has not been cool.


The Buffalo Sabres long-and-winding road of a hockey season continued this week against the Philadelphia Flyers at the KeyBank Center. Things were going pretty swell for the Sabres, considering they were playing another team in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Buffalo found themselves in a 2-2 game, midway through the second period when the wheels (predictably) fell off. Philadelphia would score 4 unanswered goals, before Jack Eichel’s 2nd of the game and 18th of the season stopped the bleeding. Unfortunately it was too little too late – Buffalo would drop this game to the Flyers in a disappointing 6-3 fashion. If the coffin had the nails, this loss hammered them down even further.

Buffalo headed directly into a Columbus buzzsaw on Friday night when the stopped at the Nationwide Arena to play a very talented Blue Jackets squad. The Sabres set the tone early with Evan Rodrigues 3rd goal of the season, but would go on the defensive shortly thereafter and spend a large chunk of the night catching up from one-goal deficits. Despite Buffalo’s strongest efforts, they trailed by a goal after every period. An early game-tying third period tally from Rasmus Ristolainen gave the Sabres hope of hanging around but Columbus just is too good for this Sabres team. A Blue Jackets goal from Boone Jenner late in the third proved to be the difference maker. Buffalo’s playoff hopes were just about extinguished with this loss as well, as their playoff hopes dropped to 0.04%. Yuck.

Man, what a tale of two teams during the back half of the home-and-home on Saturday. Buffalo was physically at the KeyBank Center but it was evident that they had no intention of actually playing hockey in that first period. Buffalo fell down 3-0 after 20 minutes, warranting very hearty boos from the Sabres faithful. What a difference a period made though – the Sabres came out guns ablazing and looked like a completely different team. None of the players would clarify as to what was said but there is no doubt someone spoke up and their message was heard loud and clear. Three goals in the second period for Buffalo, with some chippiness mixed in. The third period did not disappoint. Buffalo and Columbus traded chances but it would be Buffalo, thanks to a beautiful cross-ice pass from Eichel to Kane, that would grab the lead for good. What a game, despite it meaning almost absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Buffalo heads to the West Coast for the final time this season, so I hope y’all are ready for 10:30 PM start times and #SabresAfterDark.

Quick, hits!

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      • BBG: The Brawl

 

    • Eichel the (soon to be) Great.

People hound on Jack Eichel for whatever insane reason they have but this should center all the morons out there – Jack Eichel is a talent Buffalo has not witnessed in quite some time. While Connor McDavid rightfully overshadows Jack Eichel in their NHL Draft Class, Eichel has quickly shown he is no slouch.

No player in the 2015 NHL Entry Level Draft has more than 53 points (Mitch Marner – Toronto).

Take your #hottakes elsewhere, Eichel is a stud.

    • Player of the Week

Our sweet boy Jack Eichel is again the BLTD Sports Player of the Week (trademark pending). With 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 3 games this week, Eichel is now the Sabres leading point-getter with 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 48 games.

    • Standings Update


It’s almost all over folks – no playoffs again looks like an actual thing.

    • The Good Tweets


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