BUFFALO – In the Sabres’ final outing before the Milano Cortina Games, center Tage Thompson showcased why he earned a coveted spot on Team USA’s stacked Olympic squad.
Thompson was often the best player on the ice in Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring his 30th goal and narrowly missing a few more prime chances.
The American certainly outplayed the Penguins’ two biggest stars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
On most nights, that would result in a victory. On Thursday, however, two Penguins rookies – Avery Hayes and Ben Kindel – picked up the slack, each scoring two goals.
Hayes, who arrived at KeyBank Center shortly after 5 p.m., scored twice in the first period of his NHL debut.
The Sabres, the NHL’s hottest team since early December, endured a rough night, playing one of their worst games over the last two months.
Perhaps their 20-day break – they don’t play again until Feb. 25 – is coming at the right time.
“It’s a great time to reset mentally,” Thompson said.
Even strong teams experience clunkers. Right now, the Sabres own the first wild card spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference. They’ve positioned themselves nicely.
Still, they don’t have much margin for error if they hope to end their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought. They can’t have more nights like Thursday.
“I think tonight was the best blessing in disguise that could’ve happened,” Sabres goalie Alex Lyon said. “It’s going to put a bitter taste in my mouth, and I hope it puts a bitter taste in everybody’s mouths because the last 25 games is going to be a dogfight all the way down to the wire. …
“We’re not in trouble, but it’s going to be a grind. … This is a cruel and humbling league, and you always have to have a little bit of that fear.”
Coach Lindy Ruff, whose Sabres have a one-point lead over the Boston Bruins and a five-point advantage over the Columbus Blue Jackets, told his players “you really can’t have games like we had.”
“We’ve worked hard to get where we’re at,” he said. “It’s tough going into the break when you lose a game like that. It’s a bad feeling.”
The Sabres, whose puck management has been one of their greatest strengths, looked sloppy all night.
“We give them a breakaway off an offensive-zone faceoff,” Ruff said. “We give them another goal off an O-zone faceoff that we won, an odd-numbered rush. Our passing definitely wasn’t crisp.
“I think if you look at our power-play entries, I think we missed the net on five of our first six real good opportunities, another sign that you’re not quite on your game.”
But the Sabres, Ruff said, “were still knocking on the door.”
Thompson’s power-play goal 1:55 into the third period moved them within 3-2. He has scored at least 30 goals in two straight seasons and four of the past five years.
Tommy Novak’s goal at 15:33 restored the Penguins’ two-goal lead. Kindel’s empty-netter sealed it.
“A lot of missed nets, missed passes,” Thompson said. “(It) obviously looked like we were fighting it a little bit. When that happens, you just have to simplify your game until you’re feeling it. And if you’re not feeling it, just keep it simple the whole game and wear them out.
“I thought we did the opposite and fueled their offense. That got us behind and chasing the game.”
The defense duo of Jacob Bryson and Michael Kesselring experienced a rough night before the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans, getting scored against twice.
After Sabres winger Jason Zucker opened the scoring, Hayes beat Jacob Bryson to the puck and scored a breakaway 9:18 into the game.
Hayes put the Penguins up for good from the bottom of the left circle at 18:47
Ruff benched Bryson after Kindel scored 7:44 into the second period.
“That pair had a tough night,” he said. “… It wasn’t a good night for them.”
In his first game in Buffalo since being traded during the offseason, Penguins defenseman Connor Clifton fought winger Peyton Krebs after his former teammate ran into goalie Arturs Silovs.
Not long after the final horn, Clifton and Krebs were having a friendly chat in the hall outside the dressing rooms.
Following the game, the Sabres sent defenseman Zach Metsa and wingers Konsta Helenius and Isak Rosen to the Rochester Americans.
