Eichel Reinhart Skinner

[nfreeman]

Full Eichel is starting to look like a freaking force of nature.

[dudacek]

8 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Full Eichel is starting to look like a freaking force of nature.

Right now pacing for the 4th best statistical season in Sabre history: 108 points

Skinner pacing for 58 goals and 84 points. Reinhart 77 points.

[pi2000]

Is Eichel fully pregnant, or only second trimester?

[SABRES 0311]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

In the 21 games since Nov. 3 versus Ottawa:

Eichel 10/21/31/+14

Reinhart 7/19/26/+17

Skinner 17/5/22/+11

3rd, 16th, and 24th in the league, respectively in points.

Reinhart is 4th in +/-, Skinner 2nd in goals, Eichel 7th in assists

 

Where do the rank in the league? Among all-time Sabres lines? Should we keep them together?

And what the heck do we call them?

You could call them the Little Rascals.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

6 hours ago, FuhrUrsinne said:

But remember that even Pominville was putting up good numbers when he was on that line.

Long-term, I'd move Reinhart down to the second line and find a young, speedy sniper at RW to make the Skinner-Eichel line the most deadly in the NHL.

And I don't mean to knock Reinhart as a player. I think he's going to be an amazing second-liner for our Cup-contending teams of the very-near future.

So, that sounds like Olofsson.

[SabresBaltimore]

I wasn't around for the French connection, and I didn't watch hockey during the Mogilny days, so to me this is the most exciting line I've gotten to watch. The next one I can think of was the Roy-Pommers-Vanek line back when we were so deep they were our 3rd line and running over other lower lines/bottom defensive pairings. This line is doing it against the best in the league though. When we lost Drury and Briere and that line had to take up the slack, they couldn't.

As to names, I got nothing.

I agree with those who say you can't break up this line, even if our second/third lines aren't producing right now. In future seasons it'd be nice to rely on Sam to help anchor another line, but maybe that's just not in the cards. In which case JBots needs to bring in someone to help the second line instead of demoting Sam.
 

At this point I wouldn't be upset to see several forwards gone from the team next year, and they all play on the second and third lines. Contracts probably make too much of a shake up tough unless JBots can pull off some deadline/offseason magic.

 

I think the line of Girgeson, Rodriguez and Larson is in some ways almost as important as our top line and should be left alone too.

Girgenson came up really big twice last night, once keeping the puck in right before the Eichel line got in, which resulted in a goal, and once sacrificing his body for a shot block..which lead to a goal.

They've been shutting down a lot of the league's top lines and providing most of the scoring that doesn't come from our top line or defense.
 

 

I think if JBots/Housley can figure out something with our middle lines leaving the top and bottom alone, and shore up our defensive depth we could be a cup contender. Of course all of this assumes we can keep Skinner around and then survive the Expansion draft without too much damage.

 

 

[Neo]

9 hours ago, Claude_Verret said:

How do you get such players, specifically Jack and Sam?

 

Welcome back ...

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 hours ago, dudacek said:

 

When I look at those numbers, it’s pretty clear that putting Reinhart up there gives us full Eichel and full Reinhart.

Without Reinhart up there we get full Pominville.

 

I wrote in the Eichel thread that Jack needed a gifted passer like MacKinnon has in Ratanen to become a full threat on the ice for both goals and assists.  Reinhart is stepping into the Ratanen role pretty well.  He isn't as dynamic as Ratanen, but he is a pretty solid 1st line RW.  

[LGR4GM]

Do people think Reinhart is good defensively? 

[French Collection]

The Eichreinners

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Do people think Reinhart is good defensively? 

Isn't keeping puck possession in the other team's zone sort of a good defense?  

[shrader]

9 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Full Eichel is starting to look like a freaking force of nature.

His rapid ascent up the points leaderboard has been fun to watch.  Hopefully he can sustain something remotely close to his current pace.  And the scary part?  He's probably the second best player on the team in a couple years.

As for the "if it's not broken..." thoughts in here, yeah, they pretty much have to keep that line rolling.  But at the same time, two of the lines are doing absolutely nothing for this team.  They're going to need to find a way to get at least some level of production from those lines.  That's the kind of thing that will make them a threat to actually win a round or two in the playoffs.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Isn't keeping puck possession in the other team's zone sort of a good defense?  

I mean, I think he is criminally underrated defensively and yes yes that is great defense. 

[Stoner]

There will be a million fan nicknames for lines and players. Most of them will be bad. I don't see anything being formally adopted unless Rick or maybe Phil blurts out something and it catches on. It sure as heck won't come from the players.

[French Collection]

6 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

There will be a million fan nicknames for lines and players. Most of them will be bad. I don't see anything being formally adopted unless Rick or maybe Phil blurts out something and it catches on. It sure as heck won't come from the players.

Maybe RJ scans these pages for ideas.

[GASabresIUFAN]

26 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I mean, I think he is criminally underrated defensively and yes yes that is great defense. 

I think both he and Jack have made great strides defensively.  Not at Barkov’s level yet, but much much better.

[North Buffalo]

30 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I mean, I think he is criminally underrated defensively and yes yes that is great defense. 

He is middling, sometimes good, somtimes his D zone breakout passes are brilliant others wtf.  He has gotten much better a long the boards.

[LGR4GM]

If he is only middling, I am not sure what good is then. 

[North Buffalo]

Again middling is the result of inconsistency. I dont see him diving in front of pucks or blocking many shots.  His board play has vastly improved and his breakout passes he wiffs on a little too often.  Did it against the Bruins a couple of times.

[LGR4GM]

You don't have to dive in front of a puck if you aren't allowing your guy to get a shot off. 

[North Buffalo]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

You don't have to dive in front of a puck if you aren't allowing your guy to get a shot off. 

Fair enough then he needs to cover the points better.  We are talking D here and Sam’s game.  Its getting better, but I dont expect much from him to begin with.  

As for nickname... what is a 3 seat bycicle called?

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Fair enough then he needs to cover the points better.  We are talking D here and Sam’s game.  Its getting better, but I dont expect much from him to begin with.  

As for nickname... what is a 3 seat bycicle called?

fair

[dudacek]

Defensively means different things to different people.

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I mean, I think he is criminally underrated defensively and yes yes that is great defense. 

Reinhart is positionally outstanding without the puck and anticipates well. He usually covers his man and gets to where the play is going. He will make some egregious giveaways overfinessing passes, but more than compensates with his high number of great passes. He is underrated with retrievals and among our best at entries and exits. He needs to be stronger on the man in coverage and quicker on the forecheck. Too often he seems to think it’s enough to be in the right spot and he fails to eliminate his check. That said, many times I’ve seen him not commit, yet still come up with the puck where others chase and eliminate themselves from the play. He’s made great strides in his wall battles.

I trust him more than most of our forwards.

Edited December 17, 2018 by dudacek

[Taro T]

My how 1 4 point game against a hated rival adjusts opinions.

There were several people still arguing for Pominville to take Reinhart's spot on that line just 2 games ago.

 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Do people think Reinhart is good defensively? 

Yes and no.  He's not a rough-and-tumble guy like Girgs or Larry, but he does seem to be good at getting in the middle of the opponents offense and picking off passes.