Sabres unable to score in Tage Thompson's return: 5 takeaways from a 1-0 loss
Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson had 3.19 goals saved above expected, according to Evolving-Hockey, even though the Buffalo Sabres spent most of the game in the Wild's zone in a 1-0 loss Wednesday at KeyBank Center.
Tage Thompson collected a pass in the slot, held the puck a few seconds to force Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber out of position, then snapped a shot on net as the Sabres trailed by a goal with 52 seconds left in the third period.
Filip Gustavsson made the save.
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) reacts to missing a shot against the Minnesota Wild during the third period of an NHL hockey game at the KeyBank Center on
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)
Thompson looked up to the KeyBank Center rafters as a crowd of 17,326 reacted with a collective gasp on Wednesday night. He and the Sabres challenged Gustavsson with 39 shots, yet the Wild’s goalie stopped them all to secure a 1-0 win for Minnesota.
“It’s just one of those games where just try to get back in and make an impact,” said Thompson, who returned to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury. “Obviously, tonight I wasn’t able to. I’ve got to find the back of the net, find a way to score.”
Gustavsson finished with a 3.19 goals saved above expected, according to Evolving-Hockey, and the Sabres spent most of the game in their offensive zone. They had 87 shot attempts. Thirty-two of those were blocked by the Wild. Four of their players had at least five shots on goal.
Natural Stat Trick credited Buffalo with 10 high-danger scoring chances after the first period. Four of those occurred while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was pulled for an extra attacker in the final 2:33 of the game. Gustavsson sprawled in his crease as multiple Sabres jostled at the puck to try to get it the past him.
The loss halted the Sabres’ win streak at three games and prevented them from holding onto one of the Eastern Conference’s wild-card playoff spots. They were disappointed by the result, but not the effort after Kirill Kaprizov gave the Wild a 1-0 lead with 6:55 left in the first period.
“Honestly, we play that type of way, I think we’re going to win nine out of 10 games,” Alex Tuch said after he had six shots on goal in 19:45 of ice time.
One mistake was the difference. A turnover near the Sabres’ net led to a 4-on-1 for Minnesota, which ended the play with a give-and-go for Kaprizov’s 14th goal of the season. There were numerous opportunities for Buffalo’s offense to respond. Its power play had six shots on goal on two opportunities, and the Sabres outshot the Wild 16-4 during the first period.
Tuch barreled through a Wild player, then split the defense before sailing a shot over the net. Rasmus Dahlin had a shot from the slot in the second period, then stickhandled around Ryan Hartman and laced a backhander on net that Gustavsson stopped. Tuch created a rebound in the third that landed at Owen Power’s feet, preventing the defenseman from capitalizing on Gustavsson being out of position.
One of Jack Quinn’s six shots on goal was from the slot with 4:38 remaining, but no one was in front of the net to prevent Gustavsson from seeing the puck.
“We did a lot of good stuff inside the game,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Made one big mistake in the first period, but I thought the first period might have been one of the best periods we’ve played against a real tough team. … We bumped into a goalie that’s really seeing it.”
The final moments of the game showed how meaningful it is for Thompson to be back in the Sabres’ lineup. His between-the-legs drop pass set up JJ Peterka for a shot that was deflected into the netting with 3:45 left in regulation. Later, Thompson won an offensive-zone faceoff while Buffalo had an extra forward on the ice and created a rebound that Peterka nearly deposited past Gustavsson.
Thompson had the shot from the slot in the final minute, which Tuch created with an outstanding pass from the left wall, and Thompson challenged Gustavsson again with 14 seconds left before Minnesota cleared the zone. The Sabres got six shots on goal and 11 shot attempts from Thompson in his return. He also won 10 of 17 faceoffs and his line had a shot-quality share of 68.7% against an opponent that entered the game ranked second in the league in 5-on-5 goals against.
The Sabres are above .500 through 22 games (11-10-1) for only the fourth time since their playoff drought began in 2011. They’ve scored only seven goals at 5-on-5 over their last six games, but they’re finally a team that’s comfortable in these tight-checking contests where it’s challenging to score. Luukkonen made 28 saves and allowed fewer than three goals for the seventh time in his past eight starts.
Their commitment to sticking to their identity has impressed Ruff and, though the loss halted a win streak, they’ve shown noticeable improvement while winning seven of their last 10 games.
“Two years ago, my last year in Boston, these guys were just so much fun and vibrant, and the kind of hockey that you want to play, right?” said Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton, who signed a three-year contract with Buffalo in July 2023. “This year, everything on the other side has taken a huge step. We’ve taken a lot of strides forward in the past six months. It’s not our best, by any means, but we’re still working and we’re finding it.”
Here are other takeaways from the game:
1. Progressing
It's been 13 games since Quinn's empty-net goal in the Sabres' 5-3 win over the Red Wings on Oct. 26.He doesn't have another goal this season. The 23-year-old winger hasn't had the puck often enough. He needs to win more one-on-one puck battles, but he hasn't had chemistry with a center yet, either. Ruff moved him next to Jiri Kulich to see if a left-handed center could help.
It worked against Minnesota. He had nine shot attempts and blocked a shot to prevent a scoring chance. There's been progress recently, but Ruff wants him to see him produce.
2. Four lines
Remember the days when the Sabres had only one effective line?Thompson’s return was a reminder of the depth this team has built. Ryan McLeod centered the fourth line, one game after he was between Tuch and Peterka. Krebs moved to the wing to give the Sabres another reliable, physical forward with Cozens and Benson. Jiri Kulich was between Quinn and Jason Zucker. The Sabres gave up too many chances when Kulich was on the ice, but he continued to show poise while playing center. He had six shots on goal and won seven of 13 faceoffs.
“He looks very comfortable,” Thompson said. “He looks confident with the puck. It’s easy sometimes to get the puck on your stick, get a little nervous or jumpy and just get rid of it. You don’t see that with him. He’s got poise with it.”
3. Power play
The Sabres didn’t score on either power play in the first period, but Thompson’s return gave them two units capable of scoring.The second group, led by Tuch, had the better chances during the Sabres’ first opportunity. Kulich’s shot almost leaked through Gustavsson. Quinn didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the space that Minnesota gave him on the right flank. Thompson and Dahlin were dangerous on Buffalo’s second chance, as the Sabres’ No. 1 center fired a pair of one-timers at Gustavsson after they used quick passes to break the pressure that the Wild were applying on the penalty kill.
Buffalo is 0-for-6 on the power play over its past three games after scoring in seven straight.
"We’ve got to bury on those opportunities, that’s for sure," said Tuch.