Tage Thompson had a hat trick as part of a five-point performance to power the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Thursday.
It was a game that mirrored the heroics and drama of the same 2005-06 Sabres squad that was honored throughout the night. Buffalo overcame two deficits and moved to 15-2 in the last 17 games to improve to 26-16-4 with 56 points.
Thompson’s second tally was not only the game winner but the 200th of his NHL career. He has 28 points in his last 21 games, including at least one point in his last six consecutive contests as his empty netter brought a barrage of hats onto the ice.
Josh Doan recorded his second straight multi-point game as he scored a highlight-reel goal from along the goal line and tucked the puck under the right shoulder of Montreal goaltender Jacob Fowler.
It was a four-goal first period as goals from Cole Caufield – who opened the scoring – and Ivan Demidov were matched by power-play tallies from Thompson and Doan.
The back-and-forth affair continued into the second period as Thompson’s third point of the game came on a primary assist to Alex Tuch, who evened the scoring at 3-3.
Rasmus Dahlin recorded a secondary assist on Tuch’s tally and matched one of the 2005-06 reunion members in attendance as he equaled Jason Pominville’s 304 assists with Buffalo. Dahlin moved into tied for eighth in Sabres history.
Jason Zucker sustained an injury after colliding with a Canadiens player at the 12:20 mark of the second period. He skated off the ice and walked down the tunnel on his own power but returned in the third period. Zucker went on to block a critical shot with goaltender Colten Ellis scrambling with just under nine minutes to play.
Colten Ellis made 20 saves on 23 shots.
