Cornel continues rebound season as Amerks defeat Crunch

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

A year ago, it would have been difficult to foresee Eric Cornel some day skating for the Buffalo Sabres.

As an American Hockey League rookie in 2016-17, he produced just 5 goals and 9 assists in 67 games. He didn’t have a point in his final 13 games, from early March until the April 15 season finale.

But if there is truth in the adage that those who work hard are rewarded, if it’s possible to use every moment in the path toward the ultimate goal as a learning/building experience, then Cornel may very well be the example every coach would use.

The second-year right winger has gone from disregarded second-round draft pick to a spot on the Buffalo Sabres prospect’s list. No, he’s not No. 1 but he at least has forced the new management team to give him more than just a cursory look.

He has 7 goals, 8 assists and 15 points in 47 games and was hardly out of place on Sunday when he moved into a second-line role with Justin Bailey on left wing and Colin Blackwell at center.

Cornel scored one goal and assisted on two (as did Blackwell and defenseman Zach Redmond) as the Amerks (30-16-10-6) defeated the Syracuse Crunch 5-4 in a shootout at Blue Cross Arena at the War  Memorial. In his past 16 games, Cornell has 4-6-10, with a shoulder injury forcing him to miss five games during that stretch.

“From his year last year to this year, it’s unbelievable,” Amerks coach Chris Taylor said. “I just want to keep playing him.”

For much of the season, when the lineup included guys like C.J. Smith, Seth Griffith, Kyle Criscuolo and Nick Baptiste, Cornel played a bottom-six role. He wasn’t getting power play minutes or given prime offensive-zone line starts.

So he just worked. He chipped in a goal or assist here and there, and he concentrated on the duties given him by the coaching staff.

Now, with players injured or on recall, he’s getting top-six minutes and responsibilities.

“I just try to have the mindset whatever role they put me in, I’m going to do the best I can in that role,” Cornel said.

On Sunday, the Amerks needed him to produce offensively, something he did in junior with the Peterborough Petes. In his final Ontario Hockey League season, he produced 27-56-83 in 68 games.

He set up the Amerks’ first goal, a deflection by Blackwell of a Redmond point shot at 6:12 of the first period to tie the score. Then he gave the Amerks a 3-2 lead at 4:58 of the second period with a perfect short-side wrist shot from the left of the slot off a Blackwell pass. And he also assisted on Redmond’s goal 5:39 later that made it 4-2.

“For a guy who’s worked his way from the bottom up, it’s great to see him rewarded,” Redmond said.

The Amerks managed to squandered the lead in the third period, however. Erik Cernak scored with six minutes left, then the Amerks failed to clear the puck from their zone and Olivier Archambault redirected Cernak’s hope-and-a-prayer shot from the right point to tie it with 2:08 to play.

Amerks goalie Linus Ullmark and Crunch goalie Peter Budaj both made quality stops in overtime before Danny O’Regan, the first shooter, scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Amerks the victory.

“If we get a 4-2 lead, we can’t give that back,” Taylor said. “But I’m glad those mistakes are coming out now so we can correct them for the playoffs.”