Buffalo Sabres top line is a beacon of light in the dark times
This six-game losing streak has been a tough pill for Buffalo Sabres fans everywhere to swallow, but not everything is all doom and gloom.
Tage Thompson has often stolen the show this season for the Buffalo Sabres. And while Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch have been effective, both have taken back seats to Tage’s relentless scoring efforts. Last night, however, Tage had just a pair of assists on the second of two Jeff Skinner goals while Tuch took over the lead role with three points (1 + 2).
Last night’s contest was the toughest one to watch during this six-game losing streak, as the Sabres suffered a humiliating loss to an inferior opponent. But at least one of the team’s lines looked halfway decent. Okay, the Skinner-Tage-Tuch line looked remarkable, or at least they did on paper, combining for three goals and seven total points.
Skinner-Tage-Tuch getting it done for the Buffalo Sabres
If the Sabres want any hope of escaping this nightmare that is their current six-game losing streak, they need to keep the trio playing on the same line and seeing an ample amount of ice time. Combined, Skinner, Tage, and Tuch have 49 points, Tage leading the way with 21 (11 + 10).
Tuch and Skinner have 14 points apiece, putting them on pace to log career highs of 72 points. Tuch is currently third on the team with eight goals, while Skinner is third in the assists column. As for shooting percentage, Tuch is tied with Victor Olofsson at 20.0%. Tage is fourth in the same category, shooting at 15.9%.
In the loss to the Boston Bruins last Saturday, Tage also came through with a shorthanded goal that gave the Sabres an early lead. While they unfortunately lost that game and did not score again, Tage’s goal was more than highlight-reel worthy as he skated through three Bruins en route to finding the back of the net.
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Amidst this nightmare, the Buffalo Sabres at least have one thing going for them. The Skinner-Tage-Tuch line at least provides some much-needed stability going forward for a team that looks as though it needs some serious refinement. We can say, at the very least, that we can count on this line to at least make this season remotely interesting.
Article Source: Observations: Sabres stumble again as Canucks hand Buffalo its sixth straight defeat by Mike Harrington
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