BUFFALO – For the first 26 minutes of Tuesday’s tight 3-2 victory, the Sabres rode the energy created by an emotional pregame ceremony honoring Sabres center Tage Thompson and other members of Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad.
Winger Jason Zucker scored barely four minutes into the contest, igniting the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans in noisy KeyBank Center.
When Thompson’s wicked wrist shot from the right circle extended their lead to 3-0 5:44 into the second period, it felt like the Sabres might blow the doors off the Vegas Golden Knights.
“To score and hear the crowd, that was probably the loudest I’ve heard it,” Thompson said after the Sabres extended their win streak to four games. “Really cool. Obviously, a big goal in that time of the game.”
That goal, Thompson’s 33rd this season, turned out to be the winner.
By the 8:27 mark – Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev scored 66 seconds apart – it was 3-2.
No problem. Over their three-month maturation into one of the NHL’s heavyweights, the Sabres have consistently grinded out wins, grabbing early leads and running out the clock.
Sometimes they weather late storms. Sometimes they lock things down. Sometimes there’s a little luck involved.
On Tuesday, they limited the Golden Knights to six shots in the third period. Still, Braeden Bowman hit the crossbar with 20 ticks left, nearly tying it.
Coach Lindy Ruff said the Sabres’ ability to close out games has come from “on-the-job training.”
“We’ve been through a lot, we’ve learned a lot,” he said. “I think the best way of learning is going through some hardship. And we went through some hardship. I look at a lot of situations last year that told us we had to be a better team, we had to have more composure.”
Sabres winger Peyton Krebs, whose five empty-net goals are tied for the league lead, showcased that composure in the waning seconds.
With Vegas goalie Akira Schmid on the bench for an extra attacker, Krebs held onto the puck instead of shooting it at the empty net, a decision that allowed the Sabres to kill the final 15 seconds.
“Didn’t ice it, didn’t go for the empty net, made a great play to get it over center ice,” Ruff said.
Not far from that spot on the ice two and a half hours earlier, Thompson enjoyed a few moments that will likely be seared in his memory forever.
As the Sabres honored him alongside Vegas center Jack Eichel, defenseman Noah Hanifin and Buffalo massage therapist Brett Crompton for their Olympic gold medal, the crowd roared and chanted, “USA, USA!”
After that, Thompson’s mother, Kim; wife, Rachel; and sons, Brooks and Baker; walked out on the ice.
Brooks dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff between Thompson and Eichel.
“I had no idea that was happening,” Thompson said. “To get to share that moment with them, and obviously Jack and Noah and Brettsky, that was really special. And what an amazing reception from the crowd.
“It was a little emotional for me, meant a lot, so thank you to all the fans and the people out there who supported us and showed up tonight.”
Notes: The Sabres’ 30 regulation wins are the most in the Eastern Conference and ranked third in the NHL behind the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. … Owen Power’s goal 46 seconds into the second period was the 42nd from a Sabres defenseman this season, the most in a single campaign since 1989-90. … Thompson’s goal extended his point streak to eight games, tying his career high. … Sabres goalie Alex Lyon made 27 saves.
