4 must-watch players as the Buffalo Sabres look to steal a win over the Panthers

The Buffalo Sabres are going to be looking for their second win of the season and these four players have some of the most intrigue around them entering this game.
Oct 13, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA;  Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Oct 13, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
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Tage Thompson

In a game where the Buffalo Sabres had eight goals, it is hard to believe that none were scored by Tage Thompson. He has consistently been their top goal-scoring threat for a few seasons now, so to see him not have any goals and, in fact, not even have a single shot on goal is rather surprising.

There is no question that Thompson has gotten off to a slow start this season, as he has only one goal through four games. He has certainly been shooting a lot, as he had double-digit shot attempts in the first three games, which is a notable increase from last season, when it wasn't until the 13th game of the season that he had three games with double-digit shot attempts.

The concern is that these shots are not necessarily getting on net, as only 50% of his shots have been shots on goal. This might be one of the reasons for the Sabres to shuffle the lines, as Thompson was mostly at center against the Senators and just wasn't getting the shot attempts he normally does on the win.

However, if they do move him back out there, he needs to improve the accuracy and get more shots on net to really make an impact.

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