Tage Thompson isn't the only reason the Buffalo Sabres were demolished by the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night. The All-Star center wasn't the only player who failed to perform up to the necessary standard in a 5-1 blowout loss in Game 2 of the teams' second-round playoff series.
That said, Thompson was, by far, the worst player on the KeyBank Center ice as the Habs tied the series at one win apiece.
The Sabres superstar finished the night with a minus-four rating and just one shot on goal. He was only charged with one official giveaway but his number of individual turnovers was significantly higher, including one that led directly to a backbreaking Montreal goal in the third period.
To Thompson's credit, he refused to use an injury excuse when asked after the game whether he was playing hurt.
"I don't think that's any of your business," the 28-year-old forward told reporters.
Thompson missed the morning skate ahead of an April 6 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which head coach Lindy Ruff chalked up to "maintenance." He hasn't looked nearly as dynamic since that point, however, and his skating has looked consistently hindered.
Yet, if he's injured to the point where his performance Friday night is the best he has to offer, he might be better off taking a seat in the press box.
The Olympic gold medalist skated directly into traffic numerous times, constantly forced low-danger shot attempts and his turnovers frequently led to scoring chances going the opposite direction for the Habs.
It was the worst game of Thompson's Sabres tenure, and it came at an inopportune time as Buffalo failed to secure a commanding 2-0 series lead on home ice.
Turnovers have always been a problem for the 6-foot-6 Arizona native, and to an extent they're unavoidable when you carry the puck as much as the offensively gifted center does, but sometimes it's important to swallow your pride to prevent game-altering mistakes, especially if you're at less than full strength.
Buffalo will hope Thompson learned that lesson after plenty of unforced errors in Game 2.
Meanwhile, let's dive into the latest installment of our Sabres playoff player grades series as they attempt to quickly leave the forgettable outing in the rearview mirror.
Zach Benson continues impressive run despite Buffalo Sabres' lopsided Game 2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Zach Benson | 9.5 |
Josh Doan | 8 |
Conor Timmins | 7.5 |
Owen Power | 6.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 6 |
Josh Norris | 5.5 |
Bowen Byram | 5 |
Jack Quinn | 5 |
Alex Lyon | 4.5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 4.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 4 |
Ryan McLeod | 4 |
Jason Zucker | 3.5 |
Logan Stanley | 3.5 |
Alex Tuch | 3 |
Beck Malenstyn | 3 |
Jordan Greenway | 2.5 |
Tyson Kozak | 2 |
Tage Thompson | 1 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Zach Benson
Game 2 was a perfect example of what makes Benson special. On a night where his teammates were struggling and the score got a little bit out of hand, he was still putting in maximum effort on every shift until the final buzzer sounded.
The energetic winger scored the Sabres' only goal, his third of the 2026 NHL Playoffs, and was once again effective getting under the skin of the Canadiens. He's now played three seasons in Buffalo and you can probably count one hand the number of times he wasn't the hardest-working player on the ice.
Benson and Josh Doan have been a force while playing on the same line together. Their relentlessness on the forecheck and the backcheck puts a lot of pressure on opponents, and it's exactly the style of hockey that tends to thrive in postseason environments.
Buffalo needs more players to match their compete level in Game 3 and beyond.
Sabres quick hits
- The Sabres' fourth line was a non-factor in Game 2 after a strong showing in the series opener. Sam Carrick will likely draw back into the lineup on Sunday night as a result.
- Alex Lyon gave up four goals on 27 shots but it was hard to fault him for the loss. There were a lot of breakdowns in front of the veteran goaltender.
- Conor Timmins skated over seven minutes on the penalty kill, which kept the Canadiens' power play scoreless across five attempts, and led Buffalo with four blocked shots.
- Ryan McLeod lost 11 of his 15 faceoffs on Friday night.
- The Sabres will attempt to bounce back in Game 3, which is scheduled to take place Sunday night (7 p.m. ET) at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
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