BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — As the Buffalo Sabres return from the All-Star break, they find themselves in a position they aren't used to. With 32 games left on their regular season slate, the Sabres are right in the mix of a playoff push.
The credit for their improved play doesn't fall on one person. Head coach Don Granato has his team playing a better brand of hockey than the team has had in a decade. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is in the conversation for the Norris trophy, awarded to the league's top defenseman. And on offense, the Sabres have scored a whopping 186 times, averaging 3.72 goals per game, which is the third most in the NHL.
Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, &Dylan Cozens are all having great seasons and putting the puck in the back of the net. But nobody is scoring at a rate quite like Tage Thompson.
The 25-year-old forward has become a force and is a threat to score anytime, anywhere. In 50 games, he's found the back of the net 34 times, just four goals shy of his previous career-best mark from last season. While the goals get the attention, you can't overlook his improved playmaking ability. His 34 assists this season have Thompson on pace to surpass 100 points on the year. That plateau hasn't been surpassed by a Sabre since 1993 [Alexander Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine].
Tage Thompson has become one of the most exciting players in the NHL.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) February 8, 2023
So it felt like the perfect time to sit down with him & see how patience turned into production, which helped him find perspective ⬇️⬇️⬇️ @WKBW pic.twitter.com/iu1cQt9zgj
The accolades are nice. Thompson appreciates the strides he's made individually— but he's quick to compliment those around him.
"I think we've got a pretty good group of guys that compete and I think when you do that, you usually have success," Thompson told 7 ABC.
While Thompson is quick to deflect the attention elsewhere, his teammates are happy to chat about the growth of their top center.
"He's really grown into himself as a person and that's been fantastic for me to watch that maturation process happen," Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said. "He's only going to continue to get better as a player, as he continues to grow as a person."
But when did the switch flip for Thompson? Sabres head coach Don Granato said he vividly remembers a conversation before last season when he told Thompson the Sabres need more.
"I was pretty aggressive with him that you are an NHL goal scorer now. Stop waiting to be an NHL goal scorer."
Don Granato is the perfect person to lead the Sabres as they try and turn things around. I asked him today when he realized Tage Thompson had flipped the switch on his career. His answer is worth your time. pic.twitter.com/9H7f867Mag
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 31, 2023
Thompson didn't wait. Last season, he scored 38 goals, more than doubling his goal total from his entire career. This year he's responded with an even more impressive start to the season, yet his main focus remains on a playoff push.
"We definitely know that playoffs are in reach and that excites us, but when you start thinking about things like that, it can kind of drag you away from that end goal," Thompson said. "I think for us you just have to take it one day at a time and approach each day on how we're going to get better. And I think if we do that, the results will take care of itself and probably find ourselves in a spot."
