Breaking down Tage Thompson’s 5-goal performance in Sabres’ dominant win

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Craig Anderson has seen a lot in the NHL. The Sabres’ 41-year-old goaltender has played in nearly 700 games in his career, which has spanned two decades. But he can’t think of anyone he ever played against who resembled Tage Thompson, who tied a franchise record with five goals in the Sabres’ 9-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. Thompson, who is six-foot-seven inches tall, once again showed off the unique blend of size and skill that has helped him become a super star in the NHL.

“I haven’t seen anybody (like him),” Anderson said earlier this season. “That’s a credit to him and his work ethic and where he’s gotten. Usually, big guys are power forwards who just bang and crash. To have the skill set he has, he obviously worked on that and continues to work on it. He’s getting rewarded for it.”

Thompson earned a seven-year, $50 million contract extension before the season after his breakout 38-goal season a year ago. He’s only built on that so far this season. He now has 21 goals and 40 points in 26 games, putting him on pace for 66 goals and 126 points. He added an assist against the Blue Jackets to mark his second six-point game of the season. Thompson became the first Sabres player since Dave Andreychuk to score five goals in a single game.

“To have a history with Tage, seeing him as a teenager and watching his growth and development, it’s really special for me to be part of his success and to watch that happen,” Don Granato said. “When you’ve seen a kid like him put the work in, it’s nice to see the rewards like this. It’s a special night.”

Goal one: Thompson got the scoring started early with four goals in the first period. He started with a give-and-go with Alex Tuch. Thompson collected the return pass on his forehand and smoothly took it to his backhand and tucked it into the back of the net. This was not a play people Thompson’s size makes very often. As Sabres goalie Eric Comrie put it earlier this year, “It’s a unique combination of reach, skill, speed and size that you just don’t see very often.”

Goal two: Thompson’s second goal came moments later. This one was just a prime opportunity and pinpoint shot placement from Thompson. Again, Tuch found him with a pass, and Thompson waited until he had a spot and took it.

“He hits spots so well, but a lot of that is how hard he works,” Comrie said. “He works every single day. That’s what makes him so special is how hard he works at his craft. That’s why he can do what he can do.”

Goal three: The third goal was one that has become a common sight from Thompson. On the power play, Thompson was parked in his usual spot at the top of the circle and unloaded a 100-mile-per-hour shot. According to NHL stats, Thompson has four recorded shots at over 100 miles per hour this season.

“The pure shot power that he has, it’s unbelievable what you see every day,” Comrie said.

Goal four: For his fourth goal, Thompson was in roughly the same spot he was in on the third goal. This time, he didn’t get all of the shot, but it was enough to get the goal. He also had five points in the first period, the most by a player in a single period in Sabres history. He also tied a franchise record for most shots on goal in a single period with seven.

Goal five: If you wanted to see some variety in Thompson’s goal scoring, you got in with his fifth goal. Yes, he was in the same spot as goals three and four. But this time, Thompson held the puck and ripped a wrist shot that was one of his best of the season.

 

Throughout the third period, Tuch continued to try to feed Thompson. Players were aware of the history he could have made by scoring six goals in a single game. He didn’t hit that mark but still enjoyed a historic performance.

“It leaves you hungrier,” Thompson told reporters after the game “You want more from yourself because you know you’re capable of it now. It’s just something I’m excited for. You get a night like this and you just want to continue to grow and test yourself.

“You can’t be satisfied. Obviously, it’s a great achievement. You want to be happy for yourself. But at the same time, there’s more to do. We’re not where we want to be as a team and it’s my job to help us get there.”

That’s the side of Thompson that will make him more than a goal scorer for Buffalo. He’s become one of the team’s leaders. He’s the steady voice of reason in good times and bad. His approach has earned him respect in the locker room.

“To know him is to respect him,” Granato said.

Before the season, Thompson signed a seven-year, $50 million extension. He got that deal after a 38-goal season the year before, his first and only season of high-level production. The Sabres didn’t view that production as an outlier. They saw it as the beginning of Thompson’s evolution into an elite goal scorer. That has more than paid off, as he is currently on pace to set new career highs in goals and points. 

But Thompson is also an example of Granato’s patient approach to development. He moved Thompson to center a year ago, at a time when Thompson’s career was in a much different place. He had just 18 NHL goals heading into last season, but Thompson has 59 goals since. He was a key piece in the trade that sent Ryan O’Reilly to St. Louis, where he won a Stanley Cup. It’s taken some time, but Thompson is now making that trade look like a win on Buffalo’s side, too.

A few weeks ago, the Blues came through Buffalo and lost to the Sabres 4-1. Not many on that Blues team spent time significant time playing with Thompson. He played only 41 NHL games for St. Louis before the trade, but current Blues goalie Jordan Binnington also got time with him in the minors.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “You could see the potential was there. He already had incredible skill and a really good shot. He was very tall. A guy that can move like that and has that skill at that size, he’s obviously worked hard.” 

Blues coach Craig Berube said it was a matter of Thompson getting physically strong enough to use his height and length to his advantage. Now he’s able to protect the puck with his combination of strength and reach. He’s winning puck battles, too. The fact that he’s creating offense almost every time he steps on the ice isn’t an accident. The fact is there aren’t many players like Thompson who have existed in the history of the NHL. He’s already the sixth-highest scoring forward in NHL history among players who are 6-feet-6-inches tall or taller. None of those above him were known to handle the puck the way he does.

“You’re never a complete player,” Thompson said this week. “You’re always building your game.”

Thompson has built himself one of the most dangerous offensive games in hockey. He’s now third in the NHL in goals. On Wednesday, he helped his linemates hit career highs, too. Tuch had the first four-point game of his career, and Jeff Skinner had the first four-assist game of his career. Through 26 games, the Sabres are now averaging four goals per game, the most in the NHL. And while their 12-13-1 record still leaves them seventh in their division and six points out of the wild card, the Sabres’ plus-nine goal differential is currently 10th best in the NHL. Just a few weeks ago, the Sabres were on an eight-game losing streak. They’ve since gone 5-2-1 and scored 43 goals in that stretch, including their nine-goal outburst on Wednesday.

“We had a good time out there,” Thompson said. “I think that’s what hockey is all about, having fun.”

(Photo of Tage Thompson and Lawrence Pilut: Graham Stokes / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

 



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