Center Jack Eichel continues to shine despite the Buffalo Sabres' fading Stanley Cup Playoff hopes. He has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) during an 11-game point streak, one game shy of the longest in the NHL this season, by Mikael Granlund of the Minnesota Wild. "It's adding a little more grit and compete in your game, getting into the corners, getting pucks back, a little more physical," Eichel said. Since Feb 1 he leads the NHL in assists (18) and points (24). He could add to his totals in the home-and-home on consecutive nights against the Columbus Blue Jackets because of their fast pace. "I like playing teams that want to play hockey," he said. "Teams that sit back and trap, those are usually more boring games. I enjoy it when a team wants to get up and go and doesn't sit back." Despite Eichel's success, the Sabres are 0-2-1 in the past three games and 1-5-2 in the past eight, and are nine points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference. "At this time of the year the frustration builds up more and more because you don't have as much time [to make up ground]," defenseman Justin Falk said.
