Buffalo Sabres: When it Rains it Pours
By Paul Taylor
Already without two of their main offensive weapons, the Buffalo Sabres added Evander Kane to the casualty list during their season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
And things were going so well for the Buffalo Sabres. Buoyed by the recent signing of Rasmus Ristolainen, the team was heading into the new season with high hopes, prepared to finally contend for the playoffs once again.
Even the absence of Kyle Okposo for the home opener wasn’t too much to be concerned about, especially with him due to return on Sunday. Then it happened – THE injury, to Jack Eichel.
As the Sabres’ young superstar let out a scream and fell to the ice, everyone feared the worse. In truth, the updated timeline for his high ankle sprain is much better than the original prognosis, but doesn’t change the fact he will be missing for between six-to-eight weeks.
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For anyone who read my column on Thursday, you know I shared an objective outlook on the situation, essentially saying things weren’t that bad. After all, Buffalo sports fans — with good reason — often walk around with an ever present sense of impending doom, given everything they’ve been through over the years.
Unfortunately for the residents of Western New York, the Hockey Gods hadn’t finished having fun at the expense of the Sabres. Any excitement that came from the home opener, was ruined by the indignity of a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
You’d think that would be enough pain for one week, wouldn’t you? But no, the people upstairs also decided to throw in another injury to one of the Sabres’ main offensive weapons.
The latest addition to the Sabres’ casualty list came just before the end of the second period. Evander Kane slid full speed into the boards after a hit, and teammate Sam Reinhart knew right away it was serious.
Speaking to John Vogl of The Buffalo News and the rest of the media, Reinhart said: “I saw his face and saw the pain he was in, then saw the replay. It was pretty scary, but we’re just hoping for the best.”
In that respect, the best you can say is Kane is expected to be out weeks rather than months, after suffering three cracked ribs. However, as a cautionary note, there is no firm timeline for his return at this stage.
Sabres’ coach Dan Bylsma admitted to a certain element of shell shock about the situation. Speaking to Vogl and the media, he said: “There’s a little bit of shake your head and snake-bitten.”
However, Bylsma refuses to use this as an excuse: “It’s kind of come in droves, but it’s part of our game and part of playing.
“Unfortunately, you have a rash of them, but that’s no excuse for how we need to play, how we can play. We’ve got to keep fighting through it.”
Zach Bogosian echoed the sentiments of his coach: “The more and more you’re talking about it, the more you’re making excuses for yourself.
“We’ve all played this game long enough to know when someone gets hurt, other guys step up. That’s what we have to do.”
This mindset is indicative of the new regime in Buffalo and should be commended. Regardless, it will be severely tested in the coming weeks without Eichel and Kane, starting Sunday in Edmonton against a certain Connor McDavid and the Oilers.
Next: Is it really any surprise Jack Eichel injured himself?
One game in, how are you dealing with recent events for the Sabres? Are you remaining calm and rational or are you already fearing the worst for this season? Let us know in the comments section below.