Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson’s 2022-23 NHL Season is quickly evolving from good to elite, and to legendary with yet another award to his name.
When the Buffalo Sabres signed center Tage Thompson to a contract extension, there were mixed reviews. I was in the positive camp, believing the Sabres made the right decision to sign Tage long-term.
Not everyone agreed, but now it’s safe to say the 25-year-old has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. He won some weekly awards earlier in the season, but in December, Tage managed to snag the Third Star of the Month as his legendary season continues.
In case you were wondering, Tage has 51 points in 35 games this season, plus 27 goals, and 24 assists. Even more interesting? Tage accomplished all of the above after a slow start to the season.
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson snags the Third Star Award
So how did Tage get to the Third Star Ward? Scoring five goals in a single game definitely helps. The feat occurred on December 7th in a 9-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 11 games this past December, he also scored a point in nine of them.
He finished December with 13 goals, second only to Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who took home the Second Star. He is currently fifth overall in points, and also behind only McDavid in the most goals overall this season.
Overall, you can say it has been a remarkable season for Tage as of late. His final goal of 2022 came on New Years’s Eve when he found himself one-on-one with Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman. With his long reach, Tage used his outstanding puck and stick handling, finding twine to tie the game at one.
While Tage and the Sabres stumbled in their opening game for 2023 in a 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, it wasn’t like they generated chances. They did, but Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was simply red hot. But you can expect Tage to help the Blue and Gold get the sticks rolling again really soon, perhaps this Tuesday night when they face Alex Ovechkin (First Star) and his Washington Capitals.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
Article Source: Observations: Sabres’ winning streak meets a quiet end with loss to Senators by Mike Harrington
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