Sabres fall in OT after losing Eichel, Ullmark to injuries

Sam Reinhart scored a power-play goal with 4:30 remaining to force overtime, allowing the Buffalo Sabres to come away with a point in a 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils at KeyBank Center on Thursday.
Pavel Zacha scored the winning goal at 1:17 of overtime to complete a three-point night (1+2) for New Jersey, crossing up the Buffalo defense and picking the far-side corner from the right circle.
The night continued to present the Sabres with adversity by way of injuries. Jack Eichel was scratched after taking warmups due to a lower-body ailment and is day-to-day. Linus Ullmark sustained a lower-body injury during the first period and did not return for the second.

Riley Sheahan took over top-line duties in Eichel's place and opened the scoring for the Sabres, who also received a power-play goal from Casey Mittelstadt.
The Devils erased a 2-1 deficit on a power-play goal from Miles Wood after Taylor Hall was assessed a double minor for high-sticking at 2:58 of the third period. Nico Hischier put the Devils ahead, 3-2, seconds after the penalty to Hall expired.
"I think under all the circumstances I'm really proud of the group being able to get us into overtime," Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. "… But, being honest with you, it stings the same when it's done. We need to assess our situation pretty quickly and move towards the weekend."
Here are five takeaways from the game, which opened a three-game homestand for the Sabres.

1. Updates on Eichel and Ullmark

Eichel was given the morning off while the rest of the team skated Thursday, a decision Krueger said was made simply to rest the Sabres captain amid a grueling schedule. The lower-body ailment did not arise until during pregame warmups.
"It was not related to him not skating this morning," Krueger said. "It definitely caught us all by surprise. The first diagnosis on it is day to day."
Ullmark was tended to by a member of the medical staff after dropping to a split while making a glove save on Hischier during the first period. He stayed in the game for the remainder of the period but did not return following the first intermission.
"We have really no idea yet of the severity of the injury," Krueger said. "I'll be honest with you, we need to take a deeper dive at it first thing in the morning and we'll give you an update then after the skate."
Eichel and Ullmark are key cogs to a Sabres team already playing without two of its top defensemen in Jake McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen. McCabe is out for the season with multiple injuries to his right knee. Ristolainen is out indefinitely as he works his way back from a serious bout with COVID-19, though he did skate with the team Thursday morning.

2. Sheahan steps in for Eichel

Sheahan was elevated to the center position on a line with Reinhart and Victor Olofsson in Eichel's absence. He put the Sabres on the board with a backhand shot at 6:28 of the first period after Olofsson stripped the puck away from defenseman P.K. Subban in the New Jersey zone.

After coming to camp on a professional tryout, Sheahan has played in all 17 games this season while settling into a primarily defensive role alongside centerman Curtis Lazar. He skated a season-high 16:12, won 12 of 18 faceoffs and drew a penalty in addition to his goal.
"I came in after warmups and saw the lineup had changed and my name was up there with Vic and Sammy," Sheahan said. "So, yeah, I mean, it's kind of nice. You don't have much time to think about it, just get ready and go."
The assist by Olofsson was his 15th of the season, giving him sole possession of the team lead.

3. Double minor proves costly

Hall was assessed the high-sticking penalty following a battle in the corner with Wood, who was shown bleeding on the bench.
"I don't think my stick touched his lip or anything like that," Hall said. "Unfortunately, I got a four-minute high-sticking penalty but that's the way it goes. I can't engage there and have got to be better for our team and myself."
The four minutes proved costly for the Sabres, who were playing without three of their top penalty killers in McCabe, Ristolainen, and forward Tobias Rieder. Wood buried a loose puck in front of goaltender Carter Hutton to tie the game. The Sabres killed the next penalty but were unable to escape the offensive zone before Hischier put the Devils ahead.
"A double minor was just a little much for us to swallow," Krueger said. "You know, our D corps not that experienced with PK at this level right through the whole group. We're asking guys to step up to roles that wouldn't be their primary role."
Hall played a part in forcing the game to overtime, delivering a hard pass through traffic to set up Reinhart's tying goal on the power play.

4. Power play, Reinhart remain red-hot

The Sabres power play continued to look like one of the league's best, having now scored at least one goal in 11 of the past 12 games.
Reinhart's goal, meanwhile, gave him seven points (4+3) over the past five games.
"He's got a very good eye of where to be in the offensive zone, whether it's power play or 5-on-5," Hall said. "He knows where the goalie is, he knows where the weakness is of the defense. He's a guy who always seems to be open, a trait I would like to emulate a little bit better, and he's got a fantastic touch around the net. That's what he prides himself on.
"You see it in practice, you see it every day. There's not a puck that he can't tip or get a stick on. He's a great finisher and he's scoring big goals for us right now."

5. Mittelstadt taking advantage of opportunity

Mittelstadt now has two points in three games since re-entering the lineup against the Islanders on Monday. Buffalo held a 10-4 edge in shot attempts with Mittelstadt on the ice at 5-on-5, a 71.43-percent share that led the team according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
"I just go out and try to have fun every day like I've said before," Mittelstadt said. "I've seen how quickly it can be taken away so just play every game and play every game hard."