Sabres’ Tage Thompson drops truth bomb after scoring 200th career NHL goal

Tage Thompson had a huge night, scoring three goals and adding two assists to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday at KeyBank Center. His second goal was the 200th of his NHL career, and Buffalo picked up its 15th win in the last 17 games.

The 28-year-old now ranks second among active American players in career hat tricks, trailing only Auston Matthews’ 14 hat-tricks.

After the game, Thompson talked about enjoying big moments and pressure situations. He said winning is what makes hockey fun and added that this current Sabres team feels special and genuine.

“There’s nothing that beats winning,” Thompson said. “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.”

Thompson got Buffalo on the board after Montreal scored, tying the game on a power-play shot. He later assisted on Alex Tuch’s goal. Thompson scored his milestone goal in the third, then completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal late in the game. It was the ninth hat trick of his career.

The Sabres have gone 4-for-10 on the power play over their last two games after going just 1-for-21 in the 10 games before that.

Josh Doan recorded a goal and an assist, and Tuch also found the net as the Sabres stayed hot, improving to 15-2 over their last 17 games. Colten Ellis made 20 saves in the win and proved to be reliable.

For Montreal, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki each had a goal and an assist, while Ivan Demidov also scored. Rookie goalie Jacob Fowler stopped 22 shots.

Reaching 200 career goals is another big step for Thompson, who broke out with 47 goals in the 2022-23 season. The Sabres also honored their 2005-06 team before the game, adding to the energy in the building.

With Thompson performing at a high level, Buffalo continues to look like a serious contender in the Eastern Conference. They now sit at 26-16-4 with 56 points.

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