Tage Thompsons late season push

Last night, the Buffalo Sabres beat the Seattle Kraken 6-2 to stay in the playoff hunt. In the game, Tage Thompson scored his 21st goal of the season which was also his 3rd goal in the last 5 games and 5th in the last 10. 

During that span, he did miss the loss against Nashville due to an upper-body injury. Thompson’s late season turnaround could be a part of why the Sabres are only four points back of a wild-card spot.

Last season, Tage scored 47 goals and registered 47 assists becoming the first Sabres player to record 90 points in a season since Daniel Brière who accomplished reaching that mark back in 06/07. Thompson was named to his first All-Star Game in 2023 but didn't play because of an injury.

This season has been a bit of a setback for both Thompson and Buffalo. Before the last ten games, he had only scored 16 goals for the season and had missed several weeks due to injury. In a November game, Thompson was injured when he blocked a shot against Boston that hit his left wrist.   

 Thompson’s goal last night equalized the score at 1-1 and set the tone for a night that saw Buffalo win against the Kraken for the first time in franchise history.  During the post-game press conference, Thompson emphasized the importance of coming out strong in a tough environment in Seattle. 

Tage who also had an assist in the game said, “We know it’s a tough building to play in, we know they come out strong, and they got one quick. The rest of it was just important to have a good response and try to get some momentum and keep it simple."

Buffalo's forward was a +2 and had three hits to add to the performance in the game. He and the Sabres will hope to continue their playoff push tonight as they take on the Canucks in Vancouver. It will be their third game in a five-game road trip.