Is this real? It's a question Buffalo Sabres fans, who have been burned in the past by a hot stretch that suddenly transforms into a losing streak, are asking after every game.
Count superstar Tage Thompson, who scored a hat trick as part of a five-point game in Thursday night's crucial 5-3 win over the Atlantic Division rival Montreal Canadiens, as a believer.
"There's nothing that beats winning," Thompson told reporters. "This is the most fun I think I've had here my entire career. We've got something really good going, and it doesn't feel fabricated. It feels real, and I think everyone in the room believes it as well."
The Sabres currently own the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 56 points, and they rank fifth in the East based on a points percentage (.609) that's better than every club in the Metropolitan Division other than the Carolina Hurricanes.
Buffalo has won 15 of its last 17 games, highlighted by a 10-game winning streak that finally raised hopes within a long-suffering fanbase. Thompson has led the charge with 26 points (12 goals and 14 assists) over that unexpected 17-game surge.
"There's a reason why he's on that [Team USA] Olympic team," winger Alex Tuch said. "He's a game-changer every single night, and when he turns it on like that, when he's feeling it like that, he's unstoppable."
Thompson's first goal against the Habs came on the power play as the special-teams unit has found a groove over the past few games after an extended slump. If that aspect of the Sabres' game hits its stride more consistently, it'll significantly raise the team's overall upside.
So, is it time to start believing in the Blue and Gold? While it'd be hard to blame fans who want to maintain a cautious wait-and-see attitude, each passing victory makes a stronger case for Buffalo being a true threat in the conference's playoff race.
Let's dive into the latest installment of our Sabres player grades series as the team continues to handle a difficult stretch of schedule in a promising way.
Tage Thompson delivers one of the best performances of the NHL season in the Buffalo Sabres' Jan. 15 win over the Montreal Canadiens
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Tage Thompson | 10 |
Josh Doan | 9 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 8 |
Owen Power | 7.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 7.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 7 |
Zach Benson | 7 |
Beck Malenstyn | 6.5 |
Alex Tuch | 6.5 |
Tyson Kozak | 6 |
Ryan McLeod | 5.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 5 |
Bowen Byram | 5 |
Jack Quinn | 4.5 |
Zach Metsa | 4 |
Peyton Krebs | 3.5 |
Jacob Bryson | 3 |
Colten Ellis | 2.5 |
Jason Zucker | 1.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Tage Thompson
You know Thompson is in top form when the opponent simply can't get the puck off his stick. It feels like he could skate around the ice like Michael Vick ran around the field in Madden 2004. As Tuch said, there are stretches where he truly feels unstoppable.
Montreal simply didn't have an answer for the 6-foot-6 superstar on Thursday night. He was constantly getting himself into prime scoring positions and his ridiculously quick release made life difficult on Habs goalie Jacob Fowler all night.
Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen should still be surveying the NHL trade market to see whether he can find a high-scoring forward to take some of the offensive burden off Thompson's shoulders, but right now he's not having much trouble carrying the burden.
If he can maintain this level of play for a few more weeks, he'll likely take on a similarly prominent role for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Sabres quick hits
- Another tremendous two-way performance from Josh Doan, who's rightfully starting to receive some Selke Trophy buzz.
- Zach Benson was a pest all night getting under the skin of Habs players.
- Jordan Greenway creates a conundrum for Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff because he's effective on the penalty kill but makes virtually no impact at 5-on-5.
- It's weird Ruff has decided to keep a now-healthy Michael Kesselring out of the lineup in favor of Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa only to play that duo less than 10 shifts a game.
- This was the second straight outing Colten Ellis was far too chaotic, including a sequence where he almost allowed Montreal to tie the game after venturing way out of the crease to play a puck. It's almost like he's trying too hard.
- Jason Zucker has struggled since making his return from injury.
- Next up for Buffalo (26-16-4) is a visit from the Minnesota Wild (26-13-9) to the KeyBank Center on Saturday afternoon (12:30 p.m. ET).