BUFFALO, N.Y. — Not all of Tage Thompson’s goals this season have been pretty. The Buffalo Sabres’ top-line center jammed one in at the crease against the Devils, squeezed a wrist shot through Spencer Knight’s pads against the Panthers and got gift-wrapped a goal against the Penguins when Tristan Jarry bungled a play behind the net.
After a down year because of injury last season, Thompson will take the goals however they come. But the goal Thompson scored in the Sabres’ 4-2 win over the Stars was the type of goal that made him one of the most captivating players in the NHL two seasons ago. Thompson fought for the puck along the wall in the neutral zone, gained the zone with a subtle move and dished the puck to Owen Power. He then found open ice and got open for a one-timer, which he blasted by Jake Oettinger, Dallas’ All-Star goalie.
“That one felt good going in,” Thompson said after the game.
Tage Thompson lets a 94mph bazooka go, 3-0 #sabrehood #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/roEHaQN4Oy
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) October 23, 2024
The Sabres were up 2-0 before that goal, but Thompson’s goal provided a three-goal cushion at the beginning of the third period. It turns out the Sabres needed it after the Stars managed to score two late goals with their goalie pulled. More than that, though, Thompson put the Sabres on the attack to start the period. Lindy Ruff said he felt the team was playing too safe early in the period.
“He was the one guy on the bench who got vocal and said, ‘We have to start making some plays,’” Ruff said. “He took charge. That’s what you want to see out of the leaders of the team.”
Thompson now leads the league with five even-strength goals. And while the Sabres’ 3-4-1 start has left plenty of reason for concern, Thompson’s early-season play isn’t one of them. The Sabres are still 0-22 on the power play this season, so Thompson hasn’t been able to pad his point totals on the man advantage. He still has six points through eight games, and the Sabres have 61 percent of the expected goals when Thompson is on the ice at five-on-five. That’s the best mark on the team. The Sabres also have 75 percent of the high-danger chances when he’s on the ice at five-on-five.
Rasmus Dahlin is the Sabres’ captain, but this team goes as Thompson goes a lot of nights. His defensive play has been improved this season, and he’s engaged on the forecheck. When it comes to buying into how Ruff wants to play, Thompson is leading the way.
He’s also stepped into his role as the voice of reason after games. He’s clear-headed and even-keeled after wins and losses. He’s become an easy guy for the rest of the team to follow, and he has a healthy confidence in himself and those around him. He’s repeatedly said the Sabres are playing better than their early record indicated. That hasn’t always been the case, but it showed up in a convincing win against a Stanley Cup contender.
“I think everyone in this room is very confident with where our game is at,” Thompson said. “With that being said, obviously it’s frustrating when you’re not getting rewarded for it and you’re not getting the wins. That was nice for us to get rewarded for our effort. There’s been some games this season already where we didn’t get rewarded for the effort we put in. That happens. That’s hockey sometimes. It works out that way. This was a nice one to get that confidence against a really good team.”
Here are some other takeaways from Buffalo’s win against Dallas.
1. Buffalo blocked 27 shots in this game. Ruff pointed to that number postgame as a big reason the Sabres were able to limit the Stars’ chances. Last season, the Sabres were 27th in the NHL in blocked shots. Life will be a lot easier for Buffalo’s goalies if that’s the kind of shot-blocking effort they’ll get. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves in this game and was solid throughout, but it doesn’t hurt when keeping the puck off the net is a group effort.
2. Ryan McLeod continues to look like a sharp offseason addition. He scored his fourth goal of the season to put the Sabres up 2-0 on Sunday. Jason Zucker set him up on a two-on-one rush, and McLeod finished.
“Coming here, I wanted to add that piece to my game,” McLeod said earlier this week. “It’s coming still. It’s a confidence thing, shooting the pucks and getting to the net a little bit more.”
So far, so good. That whole third line has been a strength for the Sabres. Jordan Greenway has been one of Buffalo’s most consistent players. And Zucker has five assists in the last five games. Ruff has trusted them with a lot of defensive zone starts. But McLeod showing some scoring touch is a nice bonus.
3. Owen Power assisted on each of the Sabres’ first three goals. Power, who now has six points in eight games, didn’t have a single three-assist game all of last season. He’s still cleaning up some of his play in his own end, but Power has been on the ice for 10 Sabres goals at five-on-five, tops on the team. His pass to set up Thompson’s goal was perfect and so was his outlet pass that started the play that led to McLeod’s goal. With Dahlin not producing points early in the season, Power’s offensive contributions have been valuable. He has work to do in the defensive zone, but he’s showing the offensive upside that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2021.
Ryan Mcleod makes no mistake on a 2 on 1, 2-0 #sabrehood #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/JTtv7CnW0z
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) October 23, 2024
4. Peyton Krebs deserves a lot of credit for how he’s played this season. He signed his contract right before the start of training camp and didn’t have a spot in the lineup to start the season. When Nicolas Aube-Kubel went down with a knee sprain, Krebs got an opportunity and hasn’t looked back. He scored the Sabres’ first goal in this game when Beck Malenstyn deflected a Power shot off the crossbar. Krebs batted the puck out of the air and into the net for his first goal of the season. He’s filled in nicely on the fourth line and even mixed in on other lines when they need a spark.
“I come to the rink every day and work my bag off and (Ruff’)’s rewarded that,” Krebs said.
5. Lineup notes: Jordan Greenway drew back into the lineup after missing one game with a lower-body injury. Zach Benson sat out this game because he’s still dealing with an ankle injury that’s been bothering him since before the start of the season. Ruff said he wants to get him back closer to 100 percent and resting him for a game made sense. Meanwhile, Aube-Kubel was back on the ice Tuesday after missing the last two weeks with a knee sprain. Ruff said there’s a chance he could play this weekend. If not, he should be back next week. When Benson and Aube-Kubel are both healthy, the Sabres could have some tough lineup decisions with the way their replacements have played.
6. The Sabres announced the attendance for this game as 13,014. After two decent crowds in the first week of the season, this looked more like what the crowds were last season. Buffalo has another home game Saturday afternoon and plays seven of its next nine games at home.
(Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images)
