The Sabres didn’t sink without star center Jack Eichel, who in his recovery from an upper body injury was bolstered to see his teammates win two out of three without him.

"It's huge for our group. It’s a tight race right now. You try not to look at the standings every day, but it seems like teams in the Atlantic win every night," said the Sabres captain, who has missed three games. "For us, it’s about controlling what we can control. That’s our own group, putting a good effort on the ice every night. The guys did it the last few nights.

"It’s good to see guys get rewarded in a big win the other night. A lot of guys contributing."

Even though Head Coach Phil Housley won’t say it, Eichel says he’s fully recovered.

"I felt good today. Excited for the game tomorrow."

The Sabres scored five goals in their last game without Eichel, and it should be fun to see if they can keep the offense up upon his return.