Reinhart carries point streak into rematch with Capitals

WASHINGTON, D.C. -When the final horn sounded on the Washington Capitals' 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena on Wednesday night, Alex Ovechkin's 14-game point streak officially came to an end.
Sam Reinhart stepped onto that same ice for practice on Thursday as the new owner of the NHL's longest active point streak. Reinhart has tallied at least a point in each of his last 11 games, the longest such stretch of his career and the best by a Sabre this season.
The stretch has brought his season total to 34 points in 35 games. He's already surpassed his 82-game assist total from last season (25) and is four helpers away from matching his career-high (30 in 2016-17). His 11 multi-point games this season are already a career-high.

Sabres coach Phil Housley has attributed Reinhart's success to his stick-to-itiveness through a slow start statistically. He continued to do the right things and picked up right where he left off at the end of last season, when he tallied 37 points in his final 38 games.
"I'm just continuing to do the same things," Reinhart said. "I'm obviously playing with some good players and we're having some success. Our team needs us to be on the score sheet, so we'll try to continue that."

Reinhart's surge in production has coincided with his move to a line with Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel, who have formed of the NHL's most productive duos since mid-October. When asked what he's learned about Reinhart, Skinner mentioned the same two attributes that teammates have been lauding for years.
"Just sort of how smart he is I think sticks out," Skinner said. "I think he's obviously a great passer. But yeah, getting to play with him and getting to see him on your team and in practices, he's really smart. He's got really good hockey sense.
"He's got a good ability to know where everyone is at all times. He gets the puck and he's prepared to make the next play. That's probably the biggest thing that stands out."
To paint a picture of Reinhart's hockey sense, Skinner cited his late goal against Vancouver on Nov. 12. Reinhart was stationed with the puck behind the Vancouver net, from where he found Skinner with a perfect one-time pass to the slot.
"I wasn't really exactly in the hole at the time," Skinner recalled. "I think he saw, when he took a peek, I was sort of coming into the hole. He's able to sort of read that that's where I'm going. If he doesn't make that read he probably he can't make the play.
"It's a combination of awareness and anticipation. He's aware of what's going on, but he's also sort of smart enough to know what's going to happen next."
Eichel, meanwhile, is no stranger to playing with Reinhart. The two have played as linemates at various points throughout their young careers, accounting for 1,143:42 of shared 5-on-5 ice time through last season (according to NaturalStatTrick.com).
The two were roommates since their rookie years and cited their off-ice chemistry as having the potential to translate onto the ice (Reinhart said they would even re-watch games together at home), but they were never able to stick as a line until now.
In 312:40, the Eichel-Reinhart combination has been on the ice for 20 goals-for at 5-on-5 as opposed to just 13 against.
"I think that's something that comes as you gain experience and you get more comfortable," Reinhart said. 'We love being out there with each other. We're just trying to get that consistency. As you get older and you get more experience, that certainly comes."
Eichel attributed their success to a commitment to outworking their opponents and letting their chemistry and skill take over from there. Their assists on Skinner's goal against Florida on Tuesday serves as an example.

"I think it's been really good, the whole stretch here," Eichel said. "Obviously we want to keep it going every night. In order to be one of the best lines in the league, which is what we want to do, we have to be consistent every night and we have to bring it every time we go over the boards."
They'll be tested on Friday in their rematch with the Capitals, less than a week removed from a shootout loss in their first meeting. That game offered plenty of positives as the Sabres stood toe-to-toe with the reigning champions, but Eichel sees room for improvement.
"For sure, I think we can be better in terms of the way we can defend them," he said. "They're so skilled over there they have so many good players. They generate a lot and they generate a lot of really grade-A chances and they play well together.
"It's a veteran team for a reason. They've played together for a bunch of years, they went to the Cup and won it last year so we know it's a big task. I think it's important to understand the way we need to defend and take care of our own end and then I think the rest of our game will come to us."

Thursday's practice

Scott Wilson practiced with the team for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury at the end of training camp, while the Sabres welcomed a number of bodies back on defense in Nathan Beaulieu, Jake McCabe and Lawrence Pilut.
Beaulieu is still day-to-day, but McCabe and Pilut both have the potential to play against the Capitals.
"This was a really good practice today, a lot of energy and a little physicality at the end there in a battle drill," Housley said. "We'll just see how they respond to that later on. But they're still a possibility for tomorrow."
Wilson said he's still at least a couple of weeks away from returning to game action, but he was elated to be back on the road with his teammates.
"It's just a breath of fresh air, I think, to get back on the ice with the guys," he said. "It feels like a long time coming. I'm feeling a little bit better every day, still a ways away but just to be traveling and stuff and just to be on the ice with all the guys is pretty nice."

Jason Pominville did not practice and is day-to-day after sustaining an injury during a collision with Rasmus Ristolainen on Tuesday.
Here's how the Sabres lined up:
53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
43 Conor Sheary - 17 Vladimir Sobotka - 71 Evan Rodrigues
28 Zemgus Girgensons - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo
81 Remi Elie - 22 Johan Larsson - 72 Tage Thompson
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 4 Zach Bogosian
24 Lawrence Pilut - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
6 Marco Scandella - 19 Jake McCabe
48 Matt Hunwick - 45 Brendan Guhle
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 20 Scott Wilson\
40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark
\Extra forward skating on defense