3 takeaways from Knights’ win: Eichel powers past former team — PHOTOS

The fist pumps are harder. The screams are a little louder.

It’s that evident whenever Jack Eichel plays the Buffalo Sabres.

He cycled around the corner doing his patented celebration after beating goaltender James Reimer glove side at 7:44 of the third period, smile wide as his teammates hugged him.

The goal capped off a two-point night for Eichel, as he provided the highlight-reel offense for the Golden Knights in a 3-1 win against his former team Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

“It was good for us to get the win,” Eichel said. “I liked a lot of the way we played.”

That was how Eichel ended the answer to the question of if he still gets excited to play against his former team.

He preceded that by saying that it’s human nature to have some sort of emotion playing against a former team. There’s still the rush of wanting to show what’s now missed on the other side.

“There’s always an emotional aspect,” Eichel said. “I think any guy who’s played somewhere and moved on to another situation, whenever you play against your former team, you always want to have a good game.”

Eichel did that with his 18th multipoint game of the season to help the Knights (27-9-3) to their eighth win in nine games, improving to 16-3-1 since Nov. 21.

It’s been a little over three years since the Knights made the franchise-altering trade with Buffalo to acquire Eichel. He has the Stanley Cup on his resume, as does the title of being the top scorer in that playoff run.

He’s also shattering paces for the best season of his career. His two-point night gave him 52 on the season, tied for seventh in the league. Eichel’s 41 assists rank third in the NHL.

Eichel is playing like a Hart Trophy candidate. He’s the best player on the best team in the NHL as things stand.

Buffalo (14-21-5) is on its third coach since Eichel played his final game in Western New York in March 2021. The Sabres had a 13-game winless streak (0-10-3) from Nov. 27 to Dec. 21. Saturday was their 16th loss in their past 19 games.

The trajectory of the two franchises will be evaluated for as long as Eichel is playing. The Knights, barring a historic collapse, are going to make the playoffs for the seventh time in their eight-year history.

Buffalo is surely to miss the playoffs for a 14th consecutive year.

“His leadership has grown here,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “His presence, when the game is close, he’s much more vocal now and wants the ball, so to speak. That’s the growth I’ve seen in Jack. He just feels more comfortable. He projects confidence and assertiveness.

“That’s a natural evolution of winning a Stanley Cup, some guys leading where he now sees himself as that type of player. So, good for him.”

Eichel now has seven points (five goals, two assists) in four games against the Sabres. The lone game he didn’t register a point in was his first game back in Buffalo on March 10, 2022. That was his 11th game with the Knights after missing nearly a year with his neck injury.

He’s playing winning hockey in a winning culture, while his former team is still trying to find an identity.

“I think we understand that you’re not going to have your best every night, whether you’re not going to have your best legs, the puck’s not going to feel great,” Eichel said. “But we’ve found different ways to win and different guys have stepped up.”

Here are three takeaways from the win:

1. Stone’s milestone

Knights captain Mark Stone scored a goal in the first period to record his 600th NHL point.

Stone reached the mark in his 665th game and his 299th with the Knights. He’s 11 points from reaching 300 with the Knights after scoring 311 with the Ottawa Senators in the first seven seasons of his career.

Stone reached the milestone when Eichel threaded a pass through all five Sabres players and found Stone cutting to the net for his 10th goal of the season.

2. Olofsson out

Left wing Victor Olofsson did not get to partake in the revenge game against his former team, as he was a late scratch due to an illness.

Olofsson was a seventh-round pick of the Sabres in 2014 and played the first five seasons of his career in Buffalo before signing a one-year deal with the Knights in July.

Cassidy said the Knights had an idea in the afternoon that Olofsson wasn’t going to go in. The Knights are off Sunday before returning to practice Monday, and Cassidy is hopeful that the day off will help.

3. Laczynski in

With Olofsson out, center Tanner Laczynski made his presence felt.

Laczynski scored his first goal in nearly three years at 4:53 of the first period on a rebound in front of the net. His last goal came on Dec. 5, 2022, with the Philadelphia Flyers.

“Honestly, any time you score a goal it’s special,” Laczynski said. “To do it here in this building makes it that much better.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.