Sabres wrap: Tage Thompson scores twice as skid ends with win over Oilers

Sabres wrap: Tage Thompson scores twice as skid ends with win over Oilers

Tage Thompson scored twice, including the go-ahead marker in the third period, as the Buffalo Sabres held on for a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night in KeyBank Center.

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Tage Thompson scored twice, including the go-ahead marker in the third period, as the Buffalo Sabres held on for a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night in KeyBank Center.


Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) makes a save in the first period of their NHL hockey game against the
Edmonton Oilers at KeyBank Center on Monday, March 10, 2025. Joed Viera/Buffalo News

Buffalo snapped a six-game winless streak and improved to 25-32-6. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves, and new Sabres center Josh Norris earned his first point since he was acquired in the trade that sent Dylan Cozens and Dennis Gilbert to Ottawa.

The Sabres scored the first goal for the first time in eight games, as Thompson used his own rebound to give them a 1-0 lead 13:28 into the game. The Oilers hit the post or crossbar three times in the first period but trailed at the intermission. Alex Tuch also scored for Buffalo, which led 1-0 and 2-1 before Edmonton rallied.

Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse tied it 1-1 at 1:35 into the second period, and defenseman Evan Bouchard answered Tuch's goal with a power-play marker to draw Edmonton even, 2-2, at 9:12 into the middle frame.

Sabres wingers Jason Zucker (lower body) and Jordan Greenway returned to the lineup. Zucker missed six games, and Greenway wasn't available Saturday in Florida because of an illness that's spread through the team.

First period​

• The Sabres top lien committed multiple turnovers on its first shift of the game, leading to two shots on goal by the Oilers. Buffalo's forwards and defensemen were disconnected in the defensive zone, most notably on Connor Brown's scoring chance three minutes into the game.
Brown cut across the slot to challenge Luukkonen with a backhand shot, and the Oilers winger hit the post on the rebound.
• The Sabres welcomed back former winger Jeff Skinner with a tribute video during the first television timeout. It occurred as the officials reviewed a possible double high-sticking penalty against Edmonton, but the call was rescinded because Beck Malenstyn was struck by a teammate.
• A defensive-zone turnover by the Oilers allowed Alex Tuch to set up Zucker for a chance at the far post, but Zucker's shot sailed over the net. Edmonton gained possession, and Luukkonen stopped Leon Draisaitl during a breakaway.
• Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner couldn't glove Thompson's shot, and the Sabres forward snapped his own rebound into Edmonton's net for a 1-0 lead 13:28 into the first period. It was Thompson's 32nd goal of the season and 13th in his last 19 games.
• Luukkonen used his right leg to stop Mattias Janmark's shot from the slot with 4:50 left in the first period.
• Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram's hip check on Connor McDavid along the left wall forced a turnover, and Jacob Bryson's outlet pass created an odd-man rush that ended with JJ Peterka's shot getting deflected into the netting.
• Nurse hit the crossbar with a snap shot from the slot with 18.4 seconds left in the period.
• The Sabres led 1-0 at the first intermission, even though they were outshot 11-8 and only eight of their 23 shot attempts were on net.

Second period​

• The Sabres spent most of the first 90 seconds in their defensive zone because they turned the puck over three times, most notably Thompson's giveaway at the red line.
The Oilers entered the offensive zone, and Nurse tied it 1-1 with a one-timer from the point as Luukkonen was screened 1:35 into the second period.
• Buffalo took the lead again on Tuch's 25th goal of the season. The winger collected a pass from Ryan McLeod and snapped the puck by Stuart Skinner 3:52 into the second period. Tuch has 10 goals in his last 15 games.
• Oilers winger Max Jones slashed Quinn as the Sabres winger tried to recover after he overpassed on a chance in the offensive zone. Buffalo's power play began 5:42 into the first period but did not feature a shot on goal because of bad passes into coverage.
• Luukkonen stopped Brown's shot when a Sabres turnover gave Edmonton a 3-on-1 after Jones' penalty expired. Buffalo took a too-many-men penalty with 11:40 left in the second period to give the Oilers their first power play of the game.
• The Oilers tied it 2-2 on a power-play goal by Bouchard with 10:48 left in the second period. Draisaitl won the faceoff, and McDavid passed to Bouchard in the left circle.
• Greenway tripped McDavid to give the Oilers another power play with 7:19 left in the second period.
• Draisaitl cut across the slot and his backhand shot was stopped by Luukkonen. The Oilers were still cycling the puck in the offensive zone when Dahlin was called for cross-checking Zach Hyman. Sabres center Josh Norris helped them exit the zone, and his pass to Connor Clifton helped the defenseman draw a penalty with 1:17 left in the second period.
• The Sabres entered Monday with a 3-8-3 record when tied after two periods, and the Oilers had a 22-15 advantage in shots on goal at the second intermission.

Third period​

• Hyman skated back into his zone to prevent Power from shooting the puck during a Sabres rush with the score tied 2-2 early in the third period.
• Norris knocked the puck away from Bouchard to set up Thompson, who gained possession in the slot and snapped the puck over Skinner for a 3-2 lead with 16:40 left in the third period.
• The Sabres gave the Oilers too much room in the defensive zone, leading to Draisatil's backdoor chance. Luukkonen forced the shot to go wide, as Draisaitl hit the post to keep Buffalo ahead 3-2.
• Luukkonen made as glove save on Nurse's wrist shot from the high slot as multiple Oilers crashed the Sabres' net with 9:14 left in regulation.
• Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was called for hooking with 5:27 left in the third period. Clifton blocked Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' shot, then Luukkonen made a save on Draisaitl's one timer.
Tuch was stopped during a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush with Norris, and Luukkonen stopped Nugent-Hopkins' redirect from near the crease.
• The Oilers pulled Stuart Skinner for an extra attacker with 1:55 left in regulation.

Lineup​

Jiri Kulich missed a second consecutive game with an illness, but Zucker and Greenway were back:
JJ Peterka - Josh Norris - Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker - Ryan McLeod - Alex Tuch
Zach Benson - Peyton Krebs - Jack Quinn
Beck Malenstyn - Jordan Greenway - Sam Lafferty
Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power - Connor Clifton
Bowen Byram - Jacob Bryson

Next​

The Sabres travel to Detroit to play the Red Wings on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and the next home game in Buffalo is Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights at 12:30 p.m.

 

[HipKat]

Josh Norris assists on game-winning goal as UPL helps Sabres snap skid: Takeaways​

Josh Norris assists on game-winning goal as UPL helps Sabres snap skid: Takeaways

Josh Norris, the newest Sabres forward, assisted on the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

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Josh Norris was hustling toward the puck as Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard retreated into his zone to try to regain possession in the third period Monday night.

Norris, the Buffalo Sabres’ prize acquisition at the trade deadline, used a few efficient strides to gain on Bouchard and, as the two reached the faceoff dot, Norris used his stick to slide the puck to the front of the Oilers’ net.


The Buffalo Sabres celebrate Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson’s (72) goal in the third period of their
NHL hockey game at KeyBank Center on Monday, March 10, 2025. (Joed Viera/Buffalo News) Joed Viera/Buffalo News

Tage Thompson corralled the puck, stickhandled quickly and snapped a shot by Stuart Skinner for the go-ahead goal as the Edmonton goalie tried to make a save.

“Unreal play,” said Thompson, who scored his 33rd and 34th goals of the season in the Sabres’ 3-2 win over the Oilers in KeyBank Center.

Norris swiped the puck off Leon Draisaitl's stick to cause the race with Bouchard into the Oilers' defense zone. It was Norris' first point in two games with the Sabres, and Thompson's second goal of the game with 16:40 left in the third period.

The defensive play showed why Norris was one of the Ottawa Senators' most trusted forwards before he was traded to the Sabres before the NHL trade deadline Friday. He's going to be on the ice against the other team's top players, and he has the skill to make plays when he has the puck.

Norris is still learning the names of Sabres support staff. He joked with reporters that he didn't know his linemate, Tage Thompson, was that big until he stood behind the 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward until he stood behind him on the bench for the anthems.

“He’s a mountain," said Norris, a 25-year-old center. "He’s a special player.”

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff used Norris against Draisaitl throughout the game. Buffalo had three high-danger scoring chances (3-1) when the two faced each other at 5-on-5. Norris skated 17:55 and won nine of his 19 faceoffs. He didn't have a shot on goal, but he can score, too. His 20 goals with the Senators before the trade would rank third on the Sabres, and he scored 35 goals three seasons ago.

The aggressiveness shown by Norris was seen by most of the Sabres against the defending Western Conference champions. During a third-period penalty kill, Connor Clifton blocked a shot, and Norris led a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush with Alex Tuch, whose shot was stopped by Skinner. JJ Peterka used his speed to force multiple turnovers during the 6-on-5 after Skinner was pulled for an extra attacker with 1:55 left in regulation.

“It wasn’t a perfect game, but I feel like we … didn’t make any bigger mistakes,” said Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. “We fought our way through it today.”

The Sabres showed composure in the defensive zone after a shaky start to the game. They forced the Oilers to settle for unscreened shots from the circles and point. Draisaitl had three assists, but Connor McDavid was held to two shots on goal in his 26:01 of ice time.

Luukkonen delivered momentum-changing saves when his teammates needed them, though. He stopped 32 shots, including a breakaway by Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ redirect from in front of the crease during an Edmonton power play late in the third period.

Starts were one of the Sabres’ strengths until their attention to detail began to slip two weeks ago. They allowed the first goal in seven consecutive games and were outscored 10-4 in first periods during that span. Turnovers were part of the problem, but they were also struggling to follow Ruff’s defensive-zone system. Opponents scored 29 goals against Buffalo while it went 0-5-1 in six games entering the matchup with Edmonton.

Norris should help the Sabres become a better defensive team. An all-situations player in Ottawa, Norris already has a role on Buffalo’s power play and penalty One of his short-handed efforts in the second period helped Clifton draw a penalty.

“It’ll take a while,” Ruff said of Norris’ adjustment to the Sabres. “I liked his game. I liked his game defensively, and I liked his game offensively. I think that’s the player we see, the player that can play against top guys and play against top lines and still be a good offensive player.”

Twice, the Oilers scored to tie it Monday night – including Bouchard’s power-play goal that made it 2-2 with 10:48 left in the second period – but the Sabres were disciplined in the third period. They’re still last in the Eastern Conference and another winless streak spoiled Ruff’s plan for his club to play meaningful games down the stretch.

The remaining 19 games are are an opportunity to build toward next season, especially for Norris, who was brought to Buffalo to address some of the problems that plagued the Sabres this season.

Here are other takeaways from the game:

1. ‘Special player’​

It’s going to take time for Norris to gel with his linemates, Thompson and Peterka. The Sabres were outshot 7-4 at 5 on 5 when the trio was on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. Building chemistry takes time. Peterka and Thompson have been a duo for a little over a year. The latter spoke to Norris on the bench throughout the game to try to understand his tendencies and preferences.

"I’ve liked playing him so far," said Thompson. "Obviously, a fast player, competes on pucks, thinks the game at a high level. Obviously, it’s only been two games, so I think we’ll continue to grow and build some chemistry here."

2. Contributing​

Days after the Sabres’ 13-game winless streak ended, Alex Tuch told reporters that he was disappointed with his offensive output. The 28-year-old winger had only eight goals through 35 games, and his shooting percentage was 11.5%. He’s been on a tear since late December, totaling 16 goals in his last 28 games while scoring on 20.8% of his shots. Tuch has 24 goals, second on the team behind Thompson, and 49 points. He hasn’t missed a game this season, and he’s averaging 19:03 of ice time.

The Sabres need to extend Tuch when he’s eligible to sign another contract on July 1. He’s one of their important leaders and their best two-way forward.

3. Top player​

It could have been an ugly first period for the Sabres.
They were in their defensive zone for long stretches in the early portion of the game and looked disconnected when they had the puck. There were too many turnovers and bad decisions with the puck. The Oilers hit the post and crossbar as Luukkonen kept it tied, but Thompson scored a timely goal to alleviate some of the pressure. He snapped his own rebound past Skinner for a 1-0 lead 3:28 into the game.

Thompson is on pace for his second career season of 40-plus goals, and he has 56 points through 57 games. The long-term contract Buffalo gave him in August 2022 has been one of Adams’ smartest decisions since he became general manager.

4. Next​

The Sabres travel to Detroit to play the Red Wings on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., and the next home game in Buffalo is Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights at 12:30 p.m