The Buffalo Sabres have six games remaining after a 6-3 comeback victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday, and in spite of playing much better over the last few weeks, the players’ pursuit of personal goals has taken precedence over the club’s near-impossible chances of making the postseason.
Sabres leading scorer Tage Thompson reached the 40-goal mark for the second time in his career on Saturday with a tally against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and on Sunday, the big forward notched his second hat trick of the season and moved within range of his career-high 47 goals and possibly with a chance of his first 50-goal campaign.
"He's 6'7", with the poise of a Norris candidate and the hands of a little skill guy, and it's awesome to see, and obviously the shot is like none other I've ever seen." Sabres winger Alex Tuch said after the game. "It's been awesome to see how far he's come and how much of a complete game he's been playing. The goals are happening right now, but I think he's been playing really well all season, and his production is jumping."
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Thompson played most of the season up the middle, but after the Four Nations break, he has primarily played on the wing. Head coach Lindy Ruff believes playing the right side and gelling with linemates Zach Benson and rookie Jiri Kulich has freed him up.
"I really think he's skating well right now. I think that line has had some good chemistry. I think that Kulich's game is really back toward where needs to be. It's freed (Tage) up to take off." Ruff said. "You don't get a breakaway like that if you're playing center on your own end. There's a lot of pluses to being on the wing, and (Jiri's) done a really nice job, and I thought the other part is Benson had a heck of a night with the puck down low."
The Sabres finish up their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes before heading out for three straight on the road in Columbus on Thursday, and back-to-back weekend games in Florida against the Panthers on Saturday and Tampa Bay on Sunday.
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