Jack Eichel just gave the Wild a painful reminder of his prime

Sometimes, it takes a little bit to get up and take control of your day. You're groggy, you're contemplating quitting your job, and you want to sleep all day. Sometimes, that will include staring at the ceiling for hours, wondering how a 13-year-old makes so much money on TikTok while you're stuck in a cubicle.

For Jack Eichel, he had that feeling in the first three games of the first round. He didn't register a single point in that span, leaving the Vegas Golden Knights down 2-1. It felt like this would be the Kirill Kaprizov & Matt Boldy show with a special guest appearance by Filip Gustavsson.

But a funny thing happened in Game 4. He was credited with an assist on a Shea Theodore power play goal. It didn't seem like much at the time. However, it was something to build off of.

Boy, did he build off that in the last two games. He scored a goal and registered three assists in the last two games, leading the Golden Knights to the second round. Suddenly, playoff Jack appeared to be back. It took rubbing the crust from your eyes and getting your morning coffee in. But he's back and ready to take down the entire NHL.

How a simple switch turned on "Playoff Jack Eichel"

The first three games saw the top line get nothing from Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, and Mark Stone. No matter how hard they tried, they were outmatched by a faster Minnesota Wild top line. Their opponents forechecked the Golden Knights defensemen into oblivion, leaving Adin Hill to fend for himself in the defensive zone.

But Bruce Cassidy made a minor adjustment before Game 5. It involved putting William Karlsson on the top line alongside the team's points leader. What's funny is that the "Golden Misfit" is accustomed to driving a line on the lower units. Granted, that comes with having a deep team down the middle. But everyone knows Cassidy's not afraid to shake things up.

That's when the magic started to happen. Suddenly, the duo was scoring on short-handed opportunities, as seen in Game 5. Then, Mark Stone scores a goal to put the Golden Knights up 2-1. A Dave Rogowski challenge and a Brett Howden overtime goal later, Vegas has a 3-2 lead. To quote Mel Brooks:

"It's good to be the king."

But Game 6 was Eichel's best work yet, for he got an assist on yet another Shea Theodore power play goal. That wasn't all, though.

Yes, you can consider this a breakaway goal, Golden Knights fans. You can also consider this a part of Eichel's elite play. Stone sees his linemate blistering across the boards and dumps the puck to him. In comes the superstar center for a game-changing goal. All in a day's work for the franchise player, huh?

This is the Eichel opposing teams better expect throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs

Some people were worried that 4 Nations fatigue was settling in for the Vegas Golden Knights franchise player. All the abuse and hits Eichel took would break him down... Or so they thought. After all, that's why he scored 94 regular season points.

But that goes beyond a broader point. You're seeing the franchise player control all three aspects of the game. Now, he's back to dominating even strength play and has taken over the power play. Heck, the North Chelmsford native has also controlled short-handed play with his assist on the Karlsson goal. If he doesn't set up the "Original Misfit" in Game 5, who knows what would've happened?

Still, this is the player opposing teams should expect when they play the Golden Knights. His hustle, two-way play, and offensive acumen make him a dangerous weapon. That could be the thing that leads Vegas back to the Stanley Cup come June. Watch out, NHL. You've been put on notice. Elite Jack Eichel is back and he's here to stay.