BUFFALO – In Sunday’s 3-2 shootout win, Sabres center Tage Thompson wreaked havoc all night, utilizing his size and skill to generate a game-high 10 scoring chances, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Thompson, 26, performed like the aggressive, dynamic goal scorer from last season as he pumped five shots on net and attempted 11.
The American might’ve been the best player on the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Still, for 14th time in the last 16 games, he did not score a goal.
Over the past few weeks, Thompson has often looked more like the player who scored 47 goals and 94 points points last year. He has registered at least four shots in eight of his last nine outings and averaged 4.6 per contest.
That hasn’t, however, translated into more goals. He has scored just two of his 16 goals this season during that stretch.
In Thompson, Sabres coach Don Granato sees a player doing all the right things who’s close to busting out.
“It’s going to work out,” Granato said following Monday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter. “You can’t bring baggage in, negative in and you can’t play a victim mentality. He’s done none of that. Just keep playing the way he’s playing. He was an impact in that game (Sunday). He was dynamic in that game, even though he didn’t score last night.
“A lot of pushback on that D, a lot of stress on that team, and even though he’s not scoring, what he’s doing right now, Tage Thompson, is wearing on other teams and causing major stress. And that opens up things for other guys. It’s inevitable he’ll score; you’re not going to keep him off the score sheet.”
Granato, whose Sabres play a road game tonight against the Florida Panthers, said Thompson has handled his drop in production well. The team’s struggles have been the bigger drag on him.
Update: Thompson scored in the Sabres’ 3-2 loss.
“He’s felt like, at times, he’s not helping us win, or, jeez, I have to score to help us win,” Granato said. “… He’s very serious about helping this team win and do what he can for his team. I think at his core, I think he knows he knows he’s a legitimate NHL star player and goal scorer. And I think he knows he’s going to score at the level that he has scored in the past couple seasons. He just got to stick with the process.
“And you see that, you see him play with confidence right now and shoot with confidence that maybe he didn’t have a month ago. So, yeah, he takes it hard, but I think he’s in a good place at this point.”
D. Meatballs, Quit messing with the Tage, Tuck, Skinner line.
Do you think Tage was happy earlier in the year with Benson on his line ? Let me answer that:
HELL NO.