The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Anaheim Ducks 7-6 on Thursday night. Tage Thompson led Buffalo with three goals and two assists. His performance helped the team recover from an early deficit at Honda Center. Anaheim started strongly and built a 2-0 lead within the opening three minutes. Mikael Granlund scored during a five-on-three power play. Cutter Gauthier then added another power-play goal less than a minute later.
Buffalo responded through Tyson Kozak, who scored in the first period. Noah Östlund followed with a power-play goal. Roger McQueen briefly restored Anaheim’s two-goal advantage with his first NHL goal. Thompson brought the Sabres level at 3-3 late in the opening period. He moved past a defender and finished close to the net. The goal shifted momentum and gave Buffalo a route back into the contest.
Thompson took control again in the second period. He scored from the right circle after Peyton Krebs won a faceoff. Fifteen seconds later, Thompson completed his natural hat trick and gave Buffalo a 5-3 lead. The hat trick was Thompson’s 10th in the NHL. It also tied him with Alexander Mogilny and Danny Gare for third place in franchise history. Only Rick Martin and Gilbert Perreault have recorded more hat tricks for Buffalo.
Buffalo continued its scoring run early in the third period. Jack Quinn scored on the power play to make it 6-3. Zach Benson then finished a breakaway and extended the advantage to four goals. Benson also delivered an impressive performance, recording one goal and two assists. Krebs contributed three assists, while Thompson finished with five points. Colten Ellis made 28 saves as Buffalo held on for the win.
Anaheim refused to give up and mounted a late comeback. Gauthier scored again before the Ducks pulled their goaltender. Tristan Luneau scored with 1:08 remaining, and Beckett Sennecke added another with 30 seconds left. The late goals reduced Buffalo’s advantage to one. Ellis and the Sabres defence managed to protect the lead during the closing moments. The result ended Anaheim’s hopes of completing a comeback.
The victory gave Buffalo its second consecutive win. The team also improved its record to 2-0-1 during its four-game road trip. The Sabres have collected five points from the first three games. Thompson’s five-point display was the night’s defining performance. His natural hat trick turned the game around after Anaheim’s fast start. Ellis stopped 28 shots to secure the narrow victory.
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