Reinhart's hat trick propels Sabres to win over Capitals

For a brief period on Saturday afternoon, it felt as though the lasting image of the game between the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals might be that of Jeff Skinner down on the ice, crawling in pain after a trip forced him to fall awkwardly on his left ankle.
Instead, the defining scene was that of hats being cleared off the ice, a nod to a memorable performance from Sam Reinhart.
Skinner returned from his second-period scare, Reinhart recorded his third career hat trick and the Sabres brought the same desperate intensity that helped them earn a point in Tampa on Thursday, this time winning 5-2 over the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

"I thought we've done a good job the last two games for sure," Sabres captain Jack Eichel said. "I thought we've defended when we need to, we've worked hard, we played pretty desperate.
"Obviously, two good teams, I thought we had two good performances, so I think that's something to be happy about for us. We've just got to build off of it."

Jason Pominville and Rasmus Dahlin also scored goals for the Sabres, while Eichel tallied two assists. Carter Hutton made 31 saves in his second straight start in net.
The Sabres took a 2-0 lead in the first period on the strength of goals from Pominville and Dahlin and stayed ahead the rest of the way despite the Capitals twice bringing themselves within one.
When Alex Ovechkin made it 2-1 on a partial breakaway in the second, the Sabres' answered with Dahlin's power-play goal late in the period. Andre Burakovsky's third-period deflection was followed less than two minutes later by a well-earned tip at the net-front by Reinhart.
"We just went back to work," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "We didn't let it affect us. We know that's a very dangerous team. I thought at times we let guys get to the open, but for the most part, we were pretty solid in our checking detail. That's why we were able to get that go-ahead goal when we needed it and get that two-goal cushion."
The win snapped a four-game winless streak for the Sabres, who once again proved their ability to compete with good teams when they stick to their game plan and work defensively.
"We know we're capable, but at the same time, any team in this league is capable of a performance like that," Reinhart said. "So, we're just trying to be more consistent within that."

Skinner's scare

As quiet as the KeyBank Center crowd was when Skinner went down late in the second period, it livened at the sight of the forward chasing down a puck to begin the third.
"Obviously, they're paying attention to the game, which is nice to see," Skinner said afterward, flashing his trademark smile. "Yeah, it's nice to see the support."
Eichel admitted to fearing the worst when he saw Skinner go down after being tripped by Capitals forward Carl Hagelin. Skinner initially crawled toward the bench before being met by the team's medical staff and helped to the dressing room.
Skinner said he felt his leg turn, followed by a sharp pain that began to subside when he was being tested by trainers.
"There's a lot of things going through your mind," he said. "I think at first, you're kind of just wondering what's wrong with it. Once you get past sort of that initial stage and you get back here, there's a pretty open line of communication going on.
"They're kind of explaining what's going on, what they're seeing, when they're testing stuff out. The tests went pretty well, and I was able to come back, so that was fortunate."
The apparent injury occurred at the 4:42 mark of the second period. Eichel said Skinner was back in the dressing room with his teammates during the second intermission.
"He came in and he seemed like he was ready to go again, so it was definitely good for us," Eichel said. "He's a huge part of our team."
Skinner also managed to leave a mark offensivley, delivering a no-look, backhand pass through two defenders that set up Pominville's goal in the first period:

Reinhart's hat trick

Reinhart utilized his full bag of tricks to earn his hat trick, the first by a Sabres player at KeyBank Center since Eichel scored three goals against Skinner's Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 15, 2017.
The forward found himself with space to shoot after Evan Rodrigues hustled to poke the puck loose in the Washington zone, then picked the far-side corner to beat Braden Holtby from the inside edge of the right faceoff circle for his first goal of the day.

After nearly setting up Conor Sheary for a goal on a 2-on-1 rush, Reinhart scored his second goal to make it 4-2 at 5:43 in the third period. This one came in the spot where he's made the bulk of his living in the NHL, directly in front of the opposing goaltender.
Reinhart spun off Nicklas Backstrom as he battled for position in front of Holtby and tipped a shot from the point by Matt Hunwick, who earned his point as a Sabre with the primary assist.

"I think he's finally getting rewarded," Housley said. "How many pucks did he tip on the power play that haven't gone in? Finally, he gets one. He's in the right position. He's very, very good down there in front of the net."
Reinhart lofted a shot from the half wall in his own end to score into an empty net and complete the hat trick with 56 seconds remaining. It was the continuation of what's been a career season for the winger, whose 55 points are already five more than his previous career high.

"He's been playing great for us all year," Eichel said. "It's no surprise. He goes to the front of the net, he makes a lot of small plays that I think go unnoticed, so it was great to see him get rewarded with a hat trick tonight. I couldn't be happier for him."

New heights

Speaking of career years, Eichel established his own career high with his 65th and 66th points in his 58th game of this season. It took him 67 contests to reach his previous mark of 64 points a season ago.
After earning the secondary assist on Pominville's goal, Eichel delivered a one-touch pass through the middle of the ice to set up Dahlin's one-timer on the power play. Dahlin's stick had broken earlier in the shift, leading to a funny anecdote about the replacement he grabbed from the bench.
"There wasn't any tape on the stick," Housley said. "… It sort of knuckled on Holtby. That's the type of player he is. He can make adjustments on the way."

Class is in session

Members of the Academy of Hockey joined the broadcast on MSG throughout the afternoon to break down technical aspects of the Sabres. You can learn more about the Academy hereand check out the breakdowns in the clips below.

Up next

The Sabres visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 6:30 p.m. with the GMC Game Night pregame show, or you can listen live on WGR 550. The puck drops at 7.