The Original Game » s got it, said Kubiak, who gave Herring a g

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. Chiefs Jerseys China .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. Youth Tremon Smith Jersey . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Wholesale Chiefs Jerseys . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. http://www.wholesalekansascitychiefsjers...-odaniel-jersey .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. DENVER -- Welcome back to Raiders-Broncos, a rivalry thats lost some of its luster in recent years.Now, both teams are 6-2 and headed for a showdown next weekend with the AFC West lead on the line.You have to go all the way back to Week 16 of 2002 to find the last time these old AFL foes had this much at stake in a game against one another.The Raiders won that one, 28-16, ending Denvers hopes of taking the division, sending Brian Griese to the bench, Steve Beuerlein to the huddle and the Broncos on an offseason quarterback quest that ended with Jake Plummer under center in Denver.The Broncos and Raiders both stayed a step ahead of Kansas City (5-2) on Sunday in the NFLs top division.Oakland overcame 23 penalties to beat Tampa Bay 30-24 in overtime. Then, Denver beat San Diego 27-19 by hitting Philip Rivers 17 times, batting down 13 of his passes, picking off three other throws and sacking him four times.Thats the type of defense that we play, said Von Miller, who had a sack, along with Jared Crick, Justin Simmons and T.J. Ward. Theres enough to go around for everybody. Its great on our team. No one is waiting around for somebody else to make a play. Were all out there trying to make a play from left corner to right corner and everybody in between.We feel like the next play is our chance to make a play for our team and that type of mentality really drives the type of style that we play on defense.Rivers took solace in this as he left: We split with the Denver Broncos this year.And thats saying something.Other takeaways from Denvers win that avenged a 21-13 loss at San Diego 17 days earlier:GROUNDED GROUND GAME: Rookie Devontae Bookers first NFL start was a mixed bag: a 3-yard TD run and a fumble at the 2 to go with just 54 yards on 19 carries (2.8-yard average per carry).It was non-existent, coach Gary Kubiak said of his run game just six days after it had produced 190 yards against Houston. We come out and go right down the field and look like a good, sharp football team and then we couldnt get out of our way about the next three or four series. Im disappointed. I know that we were missing C.J. today, but thats a done deal. We have to improve.Kapri Bibbs ran twice for 4 yards and Juwan Thompson ran once for a 1-yard TD.SAFETY DANCE: Ward and Darian Stewart both had interceptions on the day they were featured on the Broncos program . Cheap Stitched Chiefs Jerseys. I told him on the sidelines, `Stew, we both got picks and we was on the cover today. Weve got to be on the cover every week, Stewart said.Stewarts 25-yard interception return to the San Diego 10 set up Bookers 3-yard TD run. Ward picked off Rivers pass at the 30, spun around and made it to the Chargers 7.Ive been telling you dudes that Im a natural running back, Ward said. I just dont like getting hit.He was lamenting not getting in the end zone like Bradley Roby did on his 49-yard pick-6 in the first half, however, when Booker fumbled the ball away at the 2 moments later.DINGED DENVER: The Broncos were missing two defensive starters in linebacker Brandon Marshall (hamstring) and cornerback Aqib Talib (back) to start the game and lost cornerback Kayvon Webster to a hamstring injury.The Broncos also lost their defensive leader when coordinator Wade Phillips was taken to a hospital after getting knocked down during Robys return in the second quarter. He was released a couple of hours later and is expected back at work Monday.San Diego running back Melvin Gordon was blocked into the 69-year-old assistant by Miller, and Phillips was strapped to a backboard and carted off the field in a scary scene that concluded with him giving a thumbs-up on his way to the tunnel.With linebackers coach Reggie Herring taking over Denvers defensive calls, the Broncos had a goal-line stand in the closing minutes and picked off Rivers twice more in the second half.I got on the headset a couple of times and he told me shut the hell up, hes got it, said Kubiak, who gave Herring a game ball.BACKUP BACK UP: Cornerback Lorenzo Doss surrendered Travis Benjamins 14-yard touchdown catch and came down hard on his back. But he returned to the game and broke up Rivers fourth-down pass to tight end Hunter Henry in the closing minutes.OFF THE MARK: San Diego kicker Josh Lambo had a forgettable day by pushing a 45-yard field goal wide left just before halftime and watching Shaq Barrett block an extra point in the third quarter.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton NFL Jerseys From China China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China NFL T-shirts From China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback ' ' '