After missing the first 21 games of the season with a high-ankle sprain, Jack Eichel had an immediate impact both on and off the ice for the Buffalo Sabres when he returned last week.In four games since, Eichel has three goals and one assist for four points. He has been dynamic and his presence has b

After missing the first 21 games of the season with a high-ankle sprain, Jack Eichel had an immediate impact both on and off the ice for the Buffalo Sabres when he returned last week.In four games since, Eichel has three goals and one assist for four points. He has been dynamic and his presence has brought balance to the lineup of the Sabres, who are 2-1-1 in his four games.On Tuesday, Eichel and the Sabres will host the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid. McDavid and Eichel, who were drafted first and second, respectively, in 2015, will be forever linked. The initial hype about their expected rivalry has subsided a bit, but the two were front and center as teammates for Team North America during the World Cup of Hockey in September.While Eichel was rehabbing his injury, McDavid -- along with Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews and Winnipeg Jets rookie Patrik Laine?-- started the season with a bang. McDavid leads the league in points and Laine has been in or shared the league lead in goals. Now that Eichel is back, hes ready to make up for lost time.ESPN.com was there for his return and sat down with the second-year NHLer to talk about representing Team USA, getting creative, and the state of his rivalry with McDavid.ESPN.com: How much fun has it been to be back?Jack Eichel: Its been a lot of fun. Its been nice to see some goals on the board, nice to win and just nice to be back in the lineup playing, contributing.ESPN.com: Did being sidelined make you realize how much you missed the game?Eichel: Yeah, absolutely. Hockey is everything to me, so when youre away from it for as long as I was, it definitely bites at you and makes you that much more excited to get back.ESPN.com: Many describe the crop of young talent in the league today as the Golden Age of Youth. What does it mean for you to be a part of that group?Eichel:?More and more younger guys are getting opportunities and making the most of them. Its great for our league and fans. The game is obviously in a good place now, and were going to keep doing the things that were doing.ESPN.com: Its going to be a big deal in the hockey world every time you play against Connor McDavid. Now that you know him better after being teammates for Team North America during the World Cup, what will it be like when you face him on Tuesday?Eichel: Its the Edmonton Oilers versus the Buffalo Sabres for two points.ESPN.com: How have you dealt with all the hype surrounding the start of your career?Eichel: Ive put all that past me and just want to be an impact player. Ive played a year in the NHL now and Ive played in the World Cup. We have a good fan base and they obviously appreciate me and our team. So as a group, we just try to use it as support and build off of it.?ESPN.com: When you made that jump from Boston University to the professional level, how long did it take you to get used to the speed of the game at this level?Eichel: You get used to it pretty quickly. For me, it was a lot about confidence and realizing that you can make plays at this level. Last year, there was definitely a little bit of a transition at the beginning of the year, but the second half of the season things started to fall into place. It was important that I had played 40 games the year before at BU. Then it was about becoming more of a pro on a day-to-day basis, taking care of yourself a little bit better, more time at the gym throughout the days. I know Ive only played three games [through Sunday], but going through rehab and things like that, preparing for each practice a little bit better each time you go on the ice -- it all adds up.McDonald: How much focus have you put on your defensive game?Eichel: Thats probably one of the most important things for me. However I can find a way to contribute to our team and help us win -- whether thats scoring goals or playing [sound] defensively -- thats how I want to be. Some of the plays our team had made down the stretch ... if we dont make those, maybe we dont win the game. A lot goes into winning games at this level. As a group, were starting to learn that. And, realizing how tight it is each night, we just want to be on the right side of these games.McDonald: What advice would you give a young player today?Eichel: Just make sure you enjoy the game. Dont get caught up in being stressed over what youre going to do. Ive seen so many kids who kind of overthought it. Hockeys a game. Go to practice every day and try to get better. Im a big believer that if you want success, its up to you. Your own success is all in your own hands. So, if you want to be great, you can be great.?My dad instilled that mindset in me -- that however good you want to be, however far you want to take this game -- is just up to you and how hard you want to work and what type of sacrifices you want to make. That being said, Ive been fortunate enough to have a lot of good people with me throughout my hockey career. More than anything, hard work is the key to everything in life, and hockeys no different.McDonald: Youre a creative player. How important is it to have that creativity in todays game?Eichel: Its huge. Theres a lot of coaching in todays game, and if youre going to win, you need to play a tight game. Its important for the fans to be able to see some creativity on the ice. Its exciting, and obviously it creates offense. Some of the best players in our game are the most creative and do some of the craziest things. Ive even tried to become more creative within the last year. Watching hockey, seeing the tendencies of other players and what they like to do, Ive just tried to mimic it.McDonald: Can you learn to be creative? Or is it all instinct?Eichel: Its a little bit instinctive, but you can learn it. If youre a student of the game and you watch it as much as I do, youre going to pick up on the things other people do -- and pick up tendencies of defensemen -- and build a little bit of an advantage for yourself.McDonald: How much does communication play into being creative?Eichel: Thats something you build, chemistry and understanding the players youre playing with. Ive played with?Sam Reinhart?a lot. Were trying a lot of different things in practice, and we try to carry that over into games. We talk a lot about it and I think it works pretty well. It comes with getting to know your linemates and the people you play with.McDonald: Youve represented Team USA in other international events. What would it mean to play in the 2018 Olympics?Eichel: It would be great. Its a long ways away, but its something I would love to do. Ive [played for Team USA] a lot, but being able to do it for the national team, build a lot of patriotism, and I would take a lot of pride in it. Youre representing your whole country and I always like doing it.McDonald: Youre a student of the game. If you had the opportunity to sit down and talk hockey with one former player, who would it be?Eichel:?Thats a tough one, because there are so many I would want to talk to. Wayne Gretzky has the most points ever and hes the best player of all time, so probably him. <a href="http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/custom-john-taylor-jersey-large-1101f.html">John Taylor Jersey</a>. 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. 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Detroit was coming off 5-3 loss at Pittsburgh on Saturday in which the Penguins scored four times in the third period to rally.I was happy overall, Blashill said. Obviously you get leads and then you give them up, you dont want to do that. Theyre a good team, too, and theyre going to push as well. I thought our guys stayed with it even after the times we gave up those goals. We had real good bounce-back shifts, I thought. That was real important.Peter Mrazek stopped 32 shots to improve to 3-0-2 in his past five starts.On the winning goal, Thomas Tatar brought the puck into the offensive zone on the right side and sent a pass to DeKeyser in the middle. He fired it past Halak on the blocker side.I jumped up in the play, they had a guy changing and I beat him up the ice, DeKeyser said, and Tats threw it over to me and it went in. It was a good feeling.Anders Lee, Johnny Boychuk and Josh Bailey scored for New York, which had won a season-high three straight. Jaroslav Halak finished with 30 saves.It was a game we really needed the two (points) and take advantage of a team on a tough back-to-back, Islanders captain John Tavares said. Some good things, but still room for improvement and obviously we need the results.Detroits Frans Nielsen had an assist while facing his former team for the first time since leaving the Islanders for a six-year, $31.5 million deal with the Red Wings last summer. The 32-year-old Danish center, selected by the Islanders in the third round of the 2002 draft, had 119 goals and 230 assists over 10 seasons in New York.Zetterberg gave the Red Wings a 3-2 lead with 6:54 remaining, deflecting Jonathan Ericssons point shot past Halak on the goalies glove side for his sixth of the season. The veteran forward leads the Red Wings with 19 points.The Islanders tied it 2:33 after Zetterbergs goal. Dennis Seidenbergs shot was stopped by Mrazek, and as the puck rolled to the right side, Bailey and Tavares both whacked at it, with Bailey getting credit for the ggoal.ddddddddddddThe Islanders trailed 2-1 after two periods before Boychuk tied it 1:52 into the third. Casey Cizikas sent the puck toward the net, it rolled around the boards and DeKeyser tried to clear it. But the puck went to Boychuk, who fired it past Mrazek for his fourth of the season and second in three games.Green nearly had a third goal less than 5 minutes later but it was overturned on a challenge by Islanders coach Jack Capuano for goalie interference by Detroit center Luke Glendening.Green gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead with 5:20 left in the second period, taking a pass from Thomas Vanek and beating Halak in the top right corner. It was Greens sixth of the season and his first multi-goal game since his first career hat trick against Ottawa on Oct. 17.Green credited the win to his teams increased effort after the previous nights loss.We raised the bar a little bit and if we continue to do that, well be good, the veteran defenseman said. We played well. Its just a matter of keeping that compete level up.Lee got the Islanders on the scoreboard first 5:16 into the game on their first shot on goal as he took a centering pass from Cal Clutterbuck and wristed it through a couple of defenders and past Mrazek. It was Lees sixth of the season and fifth in the last six games.Green tied it with 7:07 remaining in the first on a one-timer off a pass from Nielsen.About 2 minutes later, Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic received 17 minutes of penalties for fighting Detroits Steve Ott. After Tavares was hit in the face by a high stick from the Red Wings Drew Miller, Ott came in and hit Tavares as he backed away and held his face. Hamonic took exception and fought Ott and received instigator, fighting and misconduct penalties.Game notes Nielsens assist was his ninth of the season and it gave him 15 points, second on the team behind Zetterberg. ... The Red Wings scratched D Ryan Sproul and LW Thomas Nosek. ... The teams play twice more, both at Detroit, on Feb. 3 and Feb. 21. ... Bailey had a point for the fifth straight game and has seven points in his last seven games.UP NEXTRed Wings: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night in the finale of a three-game trip.Islanders: Host the crosstown-rival Rangers on Tuesday night in the middle game of a three-game homestand.---Follow Vin Cherwoo at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP <a href="http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnfl.com/">Wholesale Jerseys</a> ' ' '