Tage Thompson (72) and his teammates celebrate his first-period goal Saturday. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Tage Thompson playing like superstar, helps Sabres beat Red Wings

BUFFALO – A strong argument can be made the past week or two ranks as the most significant stretch of Tage Thompson’s four-year run as the Sabres’ top center.

His gaudy statistics are just part of it, mind you. After scoring two goals and three points in Saturday afternoon’s 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, he has recorded six goals and 10 points during his six-game point streak.

Right now, Thompson, who has a three-game goal streak, is playing at a superstar level. After an underwhelming 29-goal campaign in which he battled a broken hand, he looks as dynamic as ever.

What makes this version of him different from the 47-goal, 94-point guy of two years ago is maturity. The failures of past seasons, most notably last year, have changed him.

“We’ve learned, kind of the hard way, that these games in the beginning of the season, even though it’s a long season, they add up toward the end of the season,” Thompson said following the Sabres’ third straight win. “You miss the playoffs by a point, and that eats at you for a while.”

The Sabres, of course, missed the playoffs by one point in 2022-23, raising expectations for last season, when they never quite found a groove and missed by seven points.

So Thompson, who turns 27 on Wednesday, said he has brought “desperation” into these early-season games.

“Trying to will our team to win,” said Thompson, who recorded just one point in his first six outings last season. “Just trying to lead by example and do the right things on both sides of the puck, and not really worry about the goals or the points. Those things will take care of themselves.”

So far, that mindset has worked well. It’s extremely early, but Thompson, an alternate captain, is scoring at a torrid 64-goal, 100-point pace over an 82-game season.

More importantly, the Sabres, who lost their first two games this season, reached .500 (4-4-1) with Saturday’s victory before a crowd of 15,017 fans in KeyBank Center.

A lot has gone into the Sabres’ fast turnaround following a poor start. The desperation Thompson and others possess has played a significant part.

For example, in the final seconds of the first period, winger Beck Malenstyn laid down to block a shot.

“It tells you how much, as a group, we want to win a hockey game,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “It sends a message right down the bench. And I think what I really liked is every guy on that bench is up, letting them know what a move to go down and make sure that puck didn’t get to our goaltender.”

That mentality and Thompson’s scoring exploits, which can transform a team, is a recipe for success.

“When you see our best player dominates the game, he gives us confidence,” said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, who tied his career high with three assists. “In general, just give him the puck and something good will happen.”

That was certainly true Saturday. In the first period, winger Jason Zucker buried Thompson’s rebound at 4:04, scoring the Sabres’ first power-play goal this season on their 23rd attempt.

Thompson scored at 12:00, converting linemate JJ Peterka’s feed at the net to make it 2-0. He one-timed Dahlin’s pass in the slot 3:20 into the second period to restore the Sabres’ two-goal lead.

Overall, he pumped six shots on goal and attempted a whopping 15.

Thompson’s hot streak has helped buoy a stretch in which the Sabres have scored at least four goals in six straight games.

The trio of Thompson, Peterka and Alex Tuch ranks among the league’s best for their offense and defense.

“When you get the puck out on Tage’s stick, he’s shooting it, and he’s a tough guy to defend because if you play the shot he can beat you with some one-on-one play,” Ruff said. “And I think what complements it all is you’ve got Tuch on that other side. He’s a puck thief and he comes up with pucks and they generate a lot of opportunities from being in the right place.”

After Lucas Raymond’s short-handed goal 11:02 into the third period tied the game, erasing a two-goal deficit – Dahlin made an ill-advised pass to Thompson inside the Detroit blue line – Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram scored the winner at 15:54.

“That’s also one thing I really like about our team right now,” Dahlin said. “One goal doesn’t affect us. Just keep going and doing our thing. You can look at that stuff after the game and try to improve. But in the game, you just got to move on to the next shift.”

Sabres winger Jack Quinn’s 150-foot empty-net goal, his first tally this season, sealed the game seconds after Patrick Kane hit the post in the final minute.

The Sabres have already allowed three goals this season with the opposing goalie pulled.

“All we’re doing is just work hard, keep the puck out of our net,” Dahlin said. “But, yeah, I think we deserved to win this one.”

Notes: Sabres defenseman Owen Power played one shift in the third period. … The Sabres did not win three straight games last season until Feb. 21 to 24. … Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 22 saves. … Dahlin had the 40th multi-assist game of his career, moving him past Doug Bodger for second place on the team’s all-time list among defensemen. The Swede trails only Phil Housley, who had 77. … Thompson’s first-period blast was clocked at 104.69 mph, the fastest shot recorded by NHL Edge in its four years. … The Sabres scratched defensemen Jacob Bryson and Dennis Gilbert (both healthy).

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