Tage Thompson (back) celebrates his third goal Tuesday. ©2025, Micheline Veluvolu

Tage Thompson, JJ Peterka score hat tricks as Sabres throttle Bruins

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said he hasn’t asked Tage Thompson, his star center-turned-winger, if he’s over the injury that forced him to change positions.

Ruff doesn’t plan to find out, either. Not after Thompson and linemate JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick, four points and a gaudy plus-6 rating alongside center Jiri Kulich in Tuesday’s 7-2 annihilation of the Boston Bruins.

Right now, Thompson is performing too dynamically at right wing to move him back to the middle.

“When I look at what he was generating, and now what he’s generating just playing the wing and letting Kuli do the work, it only makes sense just to leave him there,” Ruff said. “And the fact he got three tonight should help me talk him into it.”

Of course, Thompson, who began his career as a winger, will play wherever Ruff puts him.

“Just try to be adaptable with what position they want me to play, wherever in the lineup,” he said.

How rare are outings like the one Thompson and Peterka, who recorded his first three-goal NHL game, enjoyed Tuesday?

Two Sabres hadn’t registered hat tricks in the same game since Derek Roy and Drew Stafford on Jan. 18, 2008 in a 10-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. A Sabre hadn’t compiled a plus-6 rating or better since Richard Smehlik on Feb. 2, 1998.

Peterka, having scored just three goals in his previous 24 games, needed a performance like Tuesday’s to generate some confidence.

The German and Thompson share some special chemistry.

“We’re at our best when we’re moving our feet,” Thompson said. “Both of us have the ability to slow the game down and hold onto pucks, but I think we’re both at our best when we’re pushing things north and supporting, skating to each other, creating little two-on-ones on the ice.”

Peterka said: “I think we’re just looking for each other on the ice. I think he’s really, really good fitting open in spots.”

As Thompson illustrated Tuesday before a crowd of 15,607 fans in KeyBank Center, when he’s at his best, few NHL players can perform as dynamically.

He scored 13:39 into the game, tying it at 1 from high in the slot when he one-timed center Dylan Cozens’ feed. He put the Sabres ahead for good 4:43 into the second period, completing a nifty tic-tac-toe play in front of goalie Jeremy Swayman.

The American completed his seventh NHL hat trick 3:13 into the third period from the right circle, giving him six goals in the last five games. He scored six times in his previous 20 outings.

“I feel like I’ve had some good looks, good chances,” said Thompson, who pumped a game-high six shots on goal. “I feel like just they’ve been going in for me. I think any time you’re getting looks, it’s a good thing. I think our line’s been doing a great job of generating and creating chances.

“A couple of those games in the past, we’ve been facing some good goalies or bad puck luck, whatever you want to call it. Now it’s starting to open up for us a little bit. And when you get stuff rolling like that, you’ve got to just ride that wave and keep firing pucks at the net and get to the net.”

Clearly, Thompson, who enjoyed a terrific start this season, feels much better than he did earlier this month. His 25 goals are the NHL’s seventh-highest total.

He has taken 13 faceoffs in the last two games, including five Tuesday, a sign he’s feeling better. He had taken just nine in the previous 10 contests.

Peterka, meanwhile, has stayed healthy but struggled to replicate his early-season output. He showcased some of his best against the Bruins.

He scored 6:32 into the second period, whistling the puck into the far corner from the left circle. He split two defenders and scored 10:43 into the third period before adding an empty-net goal 14:26.

Ruff thought Peterka’s line struggled a bit in Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 road loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

“But I thought they bounced back and had one hell of a night,” Ruff said. “Not too many times you can have a line with two guys where you end up with two guys getting a hat trick on the same line.”

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves. Winger Zach Benson scored their last goal, a late power-play tally.

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