Injuries to star players take luster off start of NHL season

Opening week of the NHL season saw some amazing performances. Witness Auston Matthews’ debut with Toronto, which saw this year’s No. 1 draft pick score four goals against Ottawa on opening night.

But there’s a troubling theme taking away some of the early luster: injuries to key performers. Whether it’s yet another concussion suffered by Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, the lower-body injury to Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick or the flu bug sustained by Montreal goalie Carey Price, the league can’t afford to have its stars sidelined for long periods.

That’s especially true in Buffalo, where the Sabres had a tough week. They lost star center Jack Eichel to a high ankle sprain during practice Tuesday. On Thursday, forward Evander Kane lost his balance and crashed into the end boards in the season opener against Montreal and will be out for a while with broken ribs.

Also, forward Kyle Okposo, an offseason free-agent signee by Buffalo, is dealing with a knee issue, and Dmitry Kulikov is sidelined with a lower-body injury.

The situation is disconcerting for Sabres general manager Tim Murray. If Eichel is out for any length of time, it could be tough for Buffalo to compete for a playoff spot.

“I want to see how it goes,” Murray told NHL.com. “Jack is not a replaceable player. We’ll try some guys here and see how it goes. If it’s clearly not going to work, then I’ve got to get on the phone and make some calls.

“We’re missing some big pieces, but there’s no excuses. The guys that are on the ice, they want to win. They’re not sitting there going, ‘Well, we have to wait for these guys to get back.’ They want to win.”

Players hurt in last month’s World Cup of Hockey also have yet to return, most notably the Kings’ Marian Gaborik, who broke his foot playing for Team Europe. He is not expected back until December.

AUSTON’S ACCOUNTABLE

While the hockey world is buzzing about Matthews’ four-goal performance Wednesday, many were impressed by the way Toronto’s rookie center handled himself after he was on the ice for the winning goal by Ottawa’s Kyle Turris 37 seconds into overtime.

“That was 100 percent my fault,” Matthews said. “I let (Turris) get away from me. That was my responsibility.”

Not many veterans would take responsibility for messing up, let alone a 19-year-old. But it’s that kind of accountability that will endear Matthews to fans everywhere.

LAINE STARTS FAST

Patrik Laine, the No. 2 overall pick, also had a successful debut Thursday for Winnipeg, notching a goal and an assist as the Jets rallied from a 4-1 deficit to defeat Carolina 5-4 in overtime. Matthews and Laine are the first pair of top two picks from the same NHL Draft to record multiple points in their debuts.

KINGS REUNION

Like the other surviving Expansion Six, the Los Angeles Kings are celebrating their 50th anniversary. On Friday, the team brought back 12 members of that inaugural 1967-68 team and broke out the original gold uniforms. They even played the same opponent — the Philadelphia Flyers — they opened against 50 years ago. But unlike the first opener, which the Kings won 4-2, Friday’s home opener at Staples Center saw the Flyers prevail 4-2.

ETC. …

Restricted free-agent forward Rickard Rakell signed a six-year, $22.8 million deal with Anaheim. The Ducks still have yet to reach terms with their other restricted free agent, defenseman Hampus Lindholm. … The Maple Leafs unveiled statues honoring legends Dave Keon, Turk Broda and Tim Horton outside Air Canada Centre. … The Stars wore special helmet decals to honor the police officers who died in the line of duty July 7 in downtown Dallas. … The Panthers honored late Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez during their home opener, wearing pregame uniforms with Fernandez’s name and his No. 16 on the back.

Steve Carp’s NHL notebook appears Sunday. Contact him at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj.