Sabres game day: Jack Eichel expected to play against the Devils

Eichel did not miss a shift following the collision, but he played a season-low 17:31 during the second game of a back-to-back. He is expected to center the top line, skating alongside Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart.

Though Eichel has an assist in three of his last four games, he has gone eight consecutive games without a goal and only has two in 16 games this season. He struggled with turnovers Monday night against the New York Islanders before delivering a promising performance against the Devils in Prudential Center on Tuesday.

“As long as the team’s successful like we were in the last game, he’s fine,” said Krueger. “It’s more walking off the ice after a game if you’d hit the post three or four times and the crossbar and the team doesn’t have enough goals, that leads to frustration for everybody.

” … I like what happened in his mind following the game and where he is right now, so I’m optimistic he’s about to explode, really quite honestly, and that he’s dealt with the reentry, which was so difficult off the injury he had just prior to training camp, late training camp and trying to get into and up to the level that he expects from himself and that we’re all used to while we’re playing games has not been an easy task.”

Lineup: Krueger declined to reveal his lineup for the game against the Devils. Jeff Skinner will be a healthy scratch for a third consecutive game. Winger Tobias Rieder (upper body) and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (Covid-19) skated Thursday morning but neither is ready for game action.