Tage Thompson 'good' after blindside hit that could have overshadowed Sabres' 4-3 win


A few players on the Sabres’ bench wanted to take a run at one of the New Jersey Devils.

Coach Lindy Ruff understood and respected their intensity. They wanted revenge for the blindside hit that knocked their leading goal scorer, Tage Thompson, out of the game as the Sabres led by two goals in the third period Sunday afternoon in KeyBank Center.

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Sabres center Jiri Kulich checks on Sabres center Tage Thompson in the third period of their game against the New Jersey Devils at KeyBank Center on Sunday. Joed Viera, Buffalo News

Ruff didn’t want the Sabres to take an reckless, irresponsible penalty. He wanted the win. And, though fans were irate to see no one retaliate before Stefan Noesen was kicked out of the game, Ruff passionately defended his players after they got their revenge with a 4-3 win over the Devils.

“Where we were at in the game, there was going to be a time in the game when we were going to even the score,” said Ruff.

The Sabres received good news after the game with Thompson passing each test for the NHL’s concussion protocol, according to Ruff. Their best forward may be held out of practice Monday, but Ruff said Thompson is “good” after the hit.

Mattias Samuelsson, one of the Sabres on the ice during the hit, expressed regret but explained there was confusion in the moment. No one was sure who hit Thompson until the replay was shown and penalties were announced. Jason Zucker was too preoccupied trying to strip the puck from Dougie Hamilton to see what happened.

The incident fed into the perception that the Sabres are a soft team that doesn’t have an edge, but Ruff backed his players during the postgame press conference. He didn’t want inaction to overshadow a victory over one of the best teams in the NHL.

There were moments of intensity and physicality that were overlooked, like Beck Malenstyn’s big hit early in the first period or Samuelsson leveling Nathan Bastian after Thompson’s injury. Those, along with the Sabres protecting the lead, stuck with Ruff after the game.

“I knew our guys had to be ready,” said Ruff. “I thought they were. There were some guys who didn’t play because I didn’t know if some of our guys could match that intensity right off the bat, but I thought our guys answered the call.”

Ruff was proud of their effort during the first period, when they scored three goals to take a 3-0 lead. The Sabres’ penalty kill went 5 for 5 and allowed only four shots on goal. They overcame some odd penalties and non-calls that could have allowed the Devils to rally. Buffalo had 34 shots on goal to back its goalie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 21 saves.

The short-handed goal the Sabres allowed 21 seconds into their five-minute power play irritated Ruff because he and his coaching staff have pushed their players to stop making irresponsible. Jack Hughes’ backhand shot during a 2-on-1 rush cut their lead to 4-3 with 14:28 left in regulation.

Despite the mistake, and the odd-angle shot that beat Luukkonen on the Devils’ second goal only 18 seconds in, the Sabres played one of their best third periods with the aggression they showed in taking away New Jersey’s space in the offensive zone.

“What’s most important is to win and get two points,” said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin.

The performance was in stark contrast to the last time the two teams’ met for their season-opening series in Prague nearly four months ago.

The Sabres’ brief training camp that was disrupted by the trip to Europe inspired optimism for Ruff. He told reporters in Prague that he couldn’t have asked for more from a group of players whom he’d been around for only a few weeks. His respect for their talent was evident in each press conference and showed off-camera at O2 arena when he pulled two NHL Network broadcasters aside to show them video of a backcheck by Jordan Greenway in the exhibition game in Munich.

There were few positive moments during the games in Prague, though. JJ Peterka was concussed on a check to the head by defenseman Brenden Dillon. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom stood on his head after his teammates gave him a 2-0 first-period lead in the season opener. The Sabres managed only two goals in the two games. There were glimmers of Ruff’s vision for the team but not enough to change the results.

A challenging opening weekend isn’t responsible for the Sabres sitting last in the Eastern Conference. They were third in the Atlantic Division on Nov. 23. The 13-game winless streak, most of which occurred without their best player, Dahlin, in the lineup, ruined their playoff aspirations. But the game Sunday was a reminder of how much Buffalo has improved over the past 50 games, even if it’s not reflected in the standings.

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Sabres center Jiri Kulich, middle, takes control of the puck between Devils defenseman Brett Pesce, left, and
center Curtis Lazar in the third period of Sunday’s game at KeyBank Center. Joed Viera, Buffalo News


The Sabres are 21-26-5, but they are 10-7-1 since their winless streak ended. They’re tied for sixth in the league in goals scored since Dec. 1. Luukkonen is still facing too many quality scoring chances each game, but they’re not having issues scoring like they were at the start of the season. Buffalo is first in the league in first-period goals (59) and first-period goal differential (plus-20).

Top players are excelling and young players are developing. Thompson had two goals and an assist before his injury. Peterka, Zucker and Ryan McLeod also had a goal apiece. Zach Benson drew a penalty in the third period to end a New Jersey power play. Alex Tuch was one of the best players on the ice against the Devils (29-19-6).

“I think it’s very easy to look back at Prague, which feels like it was three years ago now, and say it was a different game, but I think they were a better team than us at that point in this season,” said Zucker. “We’ve made some adjustments. We’ve become a better team since then, and I think it was a good showing for us tonight.”

Here are other takeaways from the game:

1. Top line​

Peterka, Thompson and Jiri Kulich have become a game-changing first line for the Sabres in recent weeks.

Peterka has five goals nine points in his last six games. Thompson has six goals and 10 points in his last six games, as well as 10 goals and 22 points in his last 18 games. Kulich has four goals and seven points in his last six games. The Sabres have outscored opponents 11-2 at 5-on-5 with the trio on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.

As important, the Sabres’ four forward lines have been reliable recently, as illustrated by Buffalo ranking sixth in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals scored.

2. Successful addition​

General manager Kevyn Adams should rush to the negotiating table to get McLeod signed.

The 25-year-old center already matched the career-high 12 goals that he scored last season in Edmonton, and he needs only three points to reach the career-best 30 points that he posted with the Oilers. He’s accomplished his mission of producing more offensively despite spending a chunk of time on Buffalo’s fourth line. McLeod has been one of the Sabres’ most consistent forwards this season, and he can play first-line minutes if needed. McLeod, Kulich and Thompson have been the team’s best centers.

3. Jokiharju’s nod​

Henri Jokiharju on Sunday became the third Sabres player selected to participate in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament when the defenseman was named an injury replacement for Finland. Jokiharju was a surprising omission from the initial roster, but he’s had a disappointing season in Buffalo.

His play has improved recently – the team outscored opponents 7-4 at 5-on-5 with Jokiharju on the ice in 10 games before Sunday – but he’s been a healthy scratch 15 times. He may not be with the Sabres much longer, either, because he’s a pending unrestricted free agent and right-shot defensemen will be in demand before the March 7 trade deadline.

Luukkonen (Finland) and (Sweden) are also participating in the tournament, which begins in Montreal on Feb. 12.

4. Next​

The Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
 
Purported Sabres fans all over social media showing their hockey ignorance in their whining that no one retaliated. Sabres explained their positions. Lindy had his players backs. The bottom line is they won the game. Noesen is a career nobody. With Hischier out injured he was trying to project himself as the leader. He is a little meaningless pissboy player that will get his down the road. Players don't forget.
 
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