The Buffalo Sabres‘ wild win over the Anaheim Ducks had plenty of fireworks, including a legendary performance from one of its best players.
Buffalo and Anaheim went the distance in a game that ended in a 7-6 victory for the Sabres. It was a much-needed performance for Buffalo’s forward group, which scored all seven goals in the contest. For most of the season, the Sabres needed scoring help from their defensemen.
While that wasn’t the case on Thursday, Buffalo couldn’t have pulled off its big win without Tage Thompson’s heroics. Tage ended the game with a natural hat trick when he was the only player on the ice to score between 15:32 in the first period and 18:51 in the second. Tage also scored at 18:36 in the second, making this hat trick even more impressive.
But that still didn’t tell the entire story.
Per Jourdon LaBarber of Sabres.com, “Thompson’s 10th career hat trick tied Alexander Mogilny and Danny Gare for third-most in Sabres history, trailing Rick Martin (21) and Gilbert Perreault (18). Only Toronto’s Auston Matthews (11) has more hat tricks since the start of the 2021-22 season.”
Tage Thompson Joined Rare Sabres Company With Hat Trick
The names on this list are even more impressive. Martin and Perreault were part of that dangerous French Connection in the 1970s and early 1980s that also included Rene Robert during the Sabres’ formative years. Gare was also a prominent part of those early Sabres teams, while Mogilny led the league with 76 goals in the 1992-93 season.
What is more impressive is how close Tage is to Auston Matthews. While Matthews has always been a star, that hasn’t been the case for Tage.
The 2021-22 season was Tage’s breakout year when he put up 38 goals and 68 points. Before that, he was little more than an afterthought and a bottom-six forward whose best season came in 2020-21 when he put up 14 points and eight goals in 38 games.
Since then, Tage has posted 40 or more goals in three different seasons. With eight goals in 13 games, he is on an 84-game pace to score between 51 and 52 goals in 2026-27. But Tage isn’t the only Sabres forward making noise.
Sabres Forwards Finally Producing As Tage Scores Hat Trick
Jack Quinn was the most productive Sabres forward until Tage found the net three times on Thursday. With 12 points and seven goals, Quinn is also currently on pace to hit over a half-goal per game.
Noah Ostlund has four goals in 13 games. If he keeps up his current effort, 2026-27 will be his breakout season. Ostlund is poised to at least build on his 11-goal, 27-point outing from 2025-26. He has nine points this season.
Zach Benson has just two goals, but both came in his previous two outings. If he finds his groove, Benson will be more than just a playmaker as 2026-27 wears on.
Tage is once again starting to display his dominance in the offensive zone. If he continues this trend, it will help rewrite the narrative regarding the struggles that Buffalo’s forwards have faced this season. That said, he could also start elevating those around him more, and that will be a win-win situation for the Sabres.
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