Buffalo Sabres superstar Tage Thompson enjoyed a night he may never forget on Tuesday.
First, Buffalo honored members of the Team USA men's hockey team that captured a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Thompson was joined by Sabres massage therapist Brett Crompton along with Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Then Thompson scored what became the game-winning goal as Buffalo kept rolling with a 3-2 victory over the Golden Knights.
"What an awesome night. So cool that my family got to be there for the puck drop — I had no idea that was happening," Thompson said. "To get to share that moment with them, and obviously [Eichel, Hanifin] and Bretsky, that was really special. And what an amazing reception from the crowd. It was a little emotional for me, meant a lot, so thank you to all the fans and the people out there who supported us and showed up tonight."
A sold-out crowd of 19,070 filled up the KeyBank Center for the celebration. It marked the sixth straight home sellout for resurgent franchise, according to Sabres Attendance Today.
Sabres fans are all-in once again. There was never a doubt that was going to happen, of course. The fanbase was merely dormant, waiting on a roster that deserved its full support after a 14-year playoff drought filled with misery. That team has finally arrived.
"To score and hear the crowd, that was probably the loudest I've heard it," Thompson said. "Really cool. Obviously, a big goal in that time of the game."
The Sabres built a 3-0 lead before the Golden Knights fought back with a pair of goals midway through the second period. Buffalo's defense, along with goalie Alex Lyon, was up to the challenge over the game's final 31 minutes to secure the victory.
Buffalo is now just two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The Bolts do have a couple games in hand, though.
Let's dive into the latest installment of our Sabres player grades series after the club moved one step closer to a long-awaited postseason berth.
Rasmus Dahlin leads the charge as the Buffalo Sabres hold on for a March 3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Rasmus Dahlin | 9 |
Alex Lyon | 8.5 |
Jason Zucker | 8.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 8 |
Ryan McLeod | 8 |
Owen Power | 8 |
Tage Thompson | 7.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 7.5 |
Josh Doan | 7 |
Michael Kesselring | 7 |
Alex Tuch | 6.5 |
Josh Norris | 6.5 |
Jack Quinn | 6 |
Peyton Krebs | 6 |
Beck Malenstyn | 5 |
Zach Metsa | 5 |
Zach Benson | 4.5 |
Bowen Byram | 4 |
Tyson Kozak | 3 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Rasmus Dahlin
What more can you say about Dahlin at this point? He was our Player of the Game after Saturday's impressive blowout of the Lightning, and it was more of the same Tuesday night as he tallied two assists, three hits and a plus-two rating against the Golden Knights.
The 25-year-old Swede, who got off to a sluggish start this season compared to his usual All-Star standards, is back producing at an elite rate. He's up to 53 points (12 goals and 41 assists) in 57 games, including 24 points in his last 18 outings.
As impactful as Thompson is, nobody is more important to the Sabres' success than Dahlin because he can control the game in all three phases and all three zones. He has an argument as the NHL's best defenseman when he's playing his best hockey, which is the case right now.
Buffalo will hope the 2018 No. 1 overall pick can carry his current form into the playoffs.
Sabres quick hits
- The Blue and Gold are a serious threat in the Eastern Conference if Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can continue playing this well between the pipes. Splitting starts should also help ensure both goalies are well-rested for the postseason.
- Jason Zucker has missed some time with injury, but his current scoring rate of 30 points in 42 games is exactly what Buffalo needs from the veteran winger.
- Michael Kesselring played far better Tuesday than he did on the Florida trip. His lingering ankle injury may cause up-and-down performance until he can fully heal over the summer.
- Head coach Lindy Ruff isn't going to tinker with a winning lineup — he's still firmly old school in that regard — but eventually Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs should flip places, with Benson returning to the top line. He's too important to skate fourth-line minutes once back to full strength.
- Bowen Byram had a quiet night. While he's still making an impact with six assists over the last nine contests, he hasn't scored a goal since a Jan. 10 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
- The Sabres (36-19-6) return to the ice Thursday night (7 p.m. ET) when they visit PPG Paints Arena for a battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-16-13).