BUFFALO — Tage Thompson had a hat trick and three assists, and the Buffalo Sabers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 8-3 on Monday at KeyBank Center.
“I think obviously getting the win is always a good feeling, especially 8-3,” Thompson said. “I thought we played a really good game all around, but obviously it’s a nice feeling when you’re scoring, you’re contributing to the score. It’s nice.”
Video: DET@BUF: Thompson has a hat trick and 3 assists
Jeff Skinner had a goal and two assists, Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist and Kyle Okposo had two assists for the Sabers (6-3-0), who have won five of their last seven games. Eric Comrie made 15 saves for his first win in three starts.
Olli Maatta, David Perron and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings (4-3-2), who have lost three of four. Alex Nedeljkovic made 38 saves.
“We didn’t show up and they showed up,” Larkin said. “It doesn’t matter what level of hockey you play, don’t show up, it’s going to be embarrassing. We have to find it; ‘is’ means the pride of. You go into the games, a one-goal game there. the third [period], two-goal game, like, come on, let’s win battles, let’s make it a close game. We lost too many battles tonight.”
Thompson gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 16:52 of the first period, off a cross-ice pass from Skinner in the left faceoff circle.
Maatta tied it 1-1 at 1:26 of the second period when Andrew Copp sent a backhand pass from behind the net to the defenseman at the top of the left circle.
Jack Quinn put the Sabers back in front 2-1 at 5:22 with a timer from the right circle for his first goal of the season.
Skinner extended it to 3-1 at 14:26 when Thompson found him alone in front for his 300th NHL goal.
“It’s pretty, I guess,” Skinner said of the milestone. “I mean I’ve been around for a while, I guess. But I think for me, you’re not going to score goals unless you’ve got five guys on the same page. Obviously, it means you’ve had some good chemistry with the guys over the years . I probably had a couple of open nets, a couple of good passes from some linemates, probably.”
Video: DET@BUF: Skinner buries a solo shot for the 300th
Thompson made it 4-1 at 18:30, scoring from the slot on a power play. He had nine shots on goal Monday and has 25 in the last three games
“I think the confidence has been there since the beginning of the season. I think maybe the first three games I didn’t get enough shots, maybe being a little too cute,” Thompson said. “I just tried to keep it simple and get the pucks to the net, whether it’s a clear lane to the net or not. You just have to find ways to get them to the net and then from there, if he’s not going in, at least he’s creating a rebound and we’re taking possession.”
Perron cut it to 4-2 with 57 seconds left in the period, and Larkin made it 4-3 at 4:19 of the third when his pass attempt bounced off the skate of Buffalo defenseman Owen Power at the lower part of the right circle. for the short goal.
Dahlin restored the two-goal lead to 5-3 at 12:53 on a power play.
“They get one [power play] there, kill the momentum,” Larkin said. “The pucks in our net and then the embarrassment started.”
Dylan Cozens scored short side from the right circle to make it 6-3 at 14:47.
Video: DET@BUF: Cozens launches a spectacular shot into the net
Thompson completed the hat trick at 15:58 with a dunk in the slot to make it 7-3.
“It’s fun to watch ‘Tommer,’ to have history with him, to see him when he was 16 years old, to see him progress to this point in his career,” Sabers coach Don Granato said.
“What stands out is the excitement of the bench and the players around him. It really tells you the person he is… To see that and to see a kid that took so long to blossom and be recognized for the talent that he is , to see him fight for it and now start getting rewards for that work, it’s definitely nice.”
Thompson, who accounted for each of the final three goals (two goals, one assist) in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks, became the second player in Sabers history to have a point with eight consecutive goals since Pat LaFontaine. in 1992-93.
“I didn’t know about that stat, but it’s pretty cool,” Thompson said. “He’s obviously one of the best to ever play the game, so to be mentioned at the same time is a pretty cool feeling.”
Rasmus Asplund scored with 39 seconds left to make it 8-3.
“We hung our keeper out to dry tonight, that is [stinks]” Copp said. “They make it 5-3, OK, 6-3, but you can’t let it go. Simply unacceptable.”
NOTES: Thompson became the sixth player in Sabers history with six points in a game, and the first since LaFontaine on February 10, 1993 (one goal, five assists). His hat trick is the 22nd in NHL history on Halloween and the first since Michael Frolik of the Calgary Flames in 2015. … Okposo has multiple points in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 9-18, 2018 ( three games). … Larkin scored his first shorthanded goal since Oct. 30, 2018.