‘He’s unstoppable’ | Sabres’ Thompson continues building big-game resume

On Thursday, as Buffalo celebrated one of the great teams in franchise history, this year’s Sabres continued giving their fans reason to believe.

Pregame, the 2005-06 team laced up their skates and took the ice again, bringing back 20-year-old memories of an epic run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Throughout the night, the KeyBank Center video board played highlights from that season.

Postgame, following a nasty, fast-paced, back-and-forth, 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the 2025-26 Sabres gave the capacity crowd a similar center-ice salute. Buffalo is now 15-2-0 on its incredible midseason surge and trails Montreal by just three points (with two games in hand) for third place in the division.

“Those were the guys I watched growing up. I was nine, 10 years old during that season,” said Syracuse-area native Alex Tuch. “It brings back a lot of memories, a lot of good times sitting on the couch with my dad watching a lot of games, hoping he’d let me stay up until the third period.”

Added coach Lindy Ruff: “I think there was added incentive to live up a little bit what they saw and what they were hearing. You heard Danny Briere talk about the team and how it came together, and I really think our team has come together like that. We've become a real tight group. Everybody is all in and everybody is for each other.”

All that said, forward Tage Thompson was in a league of his own on Thursday, scoring his ninth career hat trick to carry the Sabres past their division rivals. From start to finish, he dominated like few NHL players can, surpassing the 200-goal mark in the process.

Montreal’s Cole Caufield opened the scoring early in the first period; just 54 seconds later, Thompson tied it on the power play – point No. 1. He also got the primary assist on Josh Doan’s power-play goal later in the period – point No. 2. Buffalo’s once-slumping man advantage now has four goals between the last two nights.

In the second period, with the Sabres trailing 3-2, Thompson dangled his way through the slot and fed his linemate Tuch, uncovered at the left dot, for the tying tally – point No. 3.

The game winner, too, belonged to Thompson. A ferocious third-period wall battle by Peyton Krebs sprung Doan and Thompson on a mini 2-on-1, and Montreal goaltender Jacob Fowler was again helpless against No. 72’s shot – point No. 4.

“Tommer, when he gets rolling, he doesn't miss his mark very often,” Ruff said. “He gets it off so quick that I don't think the goalie can adjust. … It was a night that it looked like anything he was gonna shoot was probably gonna go in.”

The Canadiens made a strong push late, but the hats ultimately came flying after Thompson’s empty netter with 1:40 remaining – point No. 5, one short of a career high. Since the Sabres began turning their season around Dec. 9 in Edmonton, Thompson has 26 points (12+14) in 17 games.

“There’s a reason why he’s on that Olympic team,” Tuch said. “He’s a game changer every single night, and when he turns it on like that, when he’s feeling it like that, he’s unstoppable.”

Thompson has a trio of three-point games (or better) during this run: at Edmonton, New Year’s Eve at Dallas and Thursday versus Montreal. In tight games against top opponents, he continues to come through.

“We’re all competitors, we want to be the best all the time, and when the stakes get raised, I think everyone wants to be the guy that leads the team,” Thompson said. “I think that’s what makes you a good player. If you fold in those circumstances, maybe it’s not for you.”

It’s definitely for him. His performance, the team’s recent dominance, the months of big games ahead… the eighth-year Sabre is enjoying it all, right now.

“There’s nothing that beats winning,” he continued. “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.”

Here’s more from the win.

Ellis in (and out of) net

Rookie goalie Colten Ellis made 20 saves and picked up his sixth win for the Sabres.

He made two massive stops to recover from his own turnover in the third period. With Buffalo up 4-3, he skated up to play the puck but passed it right to Montreal’s Oliver Kapanen. Chaos ensued, including a big block by Jason Zucker.

Nastiness after the whistle

Zucker had previously missed some shifts because of a second-period, open-ice hit by Canadiens enforcer Arber Xhekaj.

“I thought it was a purposeful accidental (hit), if you want to analyze it that way,” Ruff said. “[Xhekaj] knew what he was doing, and he got him pretty good. He'll be sore tomorrow, but I think when you win, it makes you feel a little bit better.”

From that point on, there was plenty of action after the whistles. In one scrum, Jordan Greenway looked ready to fight both Xhekaj and another tough guy, forward Josh Anderson.

Vanek, Pominville to enter Sabres HOF

As part of the 2005-06 celebration, the team announced plans to induct Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville into the Sabres Hall of Fame next season. More details

“Two incredible players and very well deserved,” Ruff said. “Thomas, first and foremost, one of the best net-front goal-scorers I've been around.

“… We had a French scout that told me one day that Pominville has hands of a surgeon, that his shot is that good. He was right.”

Up next

The five-game homestand concludes Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against the Minnesota Wild. MSG’s pregame coverage starts at noon.

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