On Tuesday, it wasn’t just about Jack Eichel vs. Connor McDavid. Instead, it was a clash between a fleet of young scorers who were in their prime, with the Buffalo Sabres coming up on top against the Edmonton Oilers.
In particular, high-scoring defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, power forward Evander Kane and two-way center Ryan O’Reilly made the difference in Buffalo’s 4-3 overtime win.
Ristolainen’s first goal of 2016-17 was a big one, as it clinched the contest in OT:
Evander Kane scored two goals of his own, including one in the dying seconds of regulation to allow Buffalo to get a standings point (and then a second) in the first place.
Kane finished with two goals, O’Reilly generated two assists and Ristolainen managed a one-goal, two-assist performance.
It would be wrong to say that the marquee names didn’t show up at all. McDavid generated two assists and Eichel also nabbed a helper.
You’d be correct in saying that other young players stole the show, though, and the Sabres were the biggest beneficiaries.