Sabres' Eichel scores in NHL debut
Jack Eichel doesn’t wait long to make his presence felt in Buffalo. (USATSI)
It’s been a long summer of waiting for Buffalo Sabres fans, and even though their season-opening game got off to a rocky start, the home fans had something to smile about when the third period rolled around.
The highly anticipated debut of No. 2 overall pick Jack Eichel ended up bringing the home fans out of their seats. With the Sabres trailing the Ottawa Senators 2-0 in the third period, the young American scored his first NHL goal.
First Game:?? First Goal: ?? @jack_eichel11 #OTTvsBUF #NHLFaceOff https://t.co/he4P2jFWEm
— NHL (@NHL) October 9, 2015
Eichel found the open space on the side of the net and teammate Marcus Foligno found him with a pass. Instead of one-timing the shot, Eichel waited out goalie Craig Anderson and roofed a shot to cut the deficit in half.
That’s the kind of poise that scouts were so excited about when Eichel was tearing it up at Boston University last season en route to winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
The Sabres appeared to tie the game moments later, only to have the Evander Kane goal wiped out by a coach’s challenge that determined the play was offside. It was near bedlam in Buffalo as the fans are ready to put the past few seasons behind them.
The home fans won’t like the result of the game, but they will be happy that their new Golden Boy has arrived and made his presence felt immediately. They’re expecting big things.
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