Update: The Penguins ended up winning 5-4 in overtime. Click here for a full recap.
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The Buffalo Sabres aren’t making the strides they were hoping for this season, but don’t blame Jack Eichel.
At least, don’t bury Eichel for a lack of scoring or a lack of emotion.
The soon-to-be $10 million man has been showing his frustration as the Sabres begin 2017-18 up-and-down, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising to see the talented center channel his rage into a near-fight on Tuesday.
As you can see in the video above, Eichel did not hesitate to drop his gloves after Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ian Cole landed an enormous check on Sam Reinhart. Things got broken up before Eichel could do (or receive) much damage, although it did look like number 15 might have connected for at least one impressive punch.
This isn’t the only time Eichel’s shown some brawny rage this season. You may recall that, after losing a game on his 21st birthday, he broke his stick over his knee:
Jack Eichel furious after Sabres lose to the Sharks on his 21st birthday pic.twitter.com/H5HHHZdv5Y
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) October 28, 2017
That prompted a comparison to a great Bo Jackson moment:
As of this writing, the Sabres lead the Penguins 4-3, while Eichel’s scored a goal and an assist.
Not sure if this qualifies as a Gordie Howe hat trick, but it’s close enough to be pretty cool to watch.
For a look at the lighter side of Eichel, check out this “Behind the Bench” segment from last week.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.