The Buffalo Sabres left Los Angeles with their third straight road win on Saturday, but the finish came with a little extra tension.
With about three and a half minutes left in the third period and Buffalo holding a 3-2 lead over the LA Kings, Tage Thompson was sent off for roughing. The penalty came after Peyton Krebs took a heavy hit along the boards from Joel Edmundson, and Thompson immediately stepped in to defend his teammate by dropping the gloves.
The timing was far from ideal, especially with the Sabres trying to close out a one-goal game. Buffalo had already allowed one power-play goal and was still working through a penalty kill that has struggled this season, ranking near the bottom of the league at 67.4%. The Kings also pulled their goalie, creating a 6-on-4 look late in the third.
Even so, Lindy Ruff had no issue with Thompson’s response.
"I think there is a real fine line but he's looking after his teammates," Ruff said."He thought it was a bad hit and those are the ones you scream at your teammates that you need to kill this off. I thought our guys hunkered down and did."
Buffalo’s penalty killers held up when it mattered most, limiting the Kings’ chances and helping preserve the win.
The moment also fit a broader trend for this Sabres group. Two seasons ago, the response to a big hit or cheap shot often wasn’t there.
That changed last season, and it has continued into this year. Ruff made clear that Thompson wasn’t acting for himself - he was standing up for Krebs, and then it was on the rest of the team to finish the job.
In the end, Thompson’s penalty came with risk, but it also sent a message: the Sabres are not going to let those kinds of plays go unanswered.
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For Buffalo, that makes the next few nights worth watching closely even though the Sabres are only one stop on the trip. Ottawas ability to score has not been the issue, and the challenge now is whether the Senators can hold up defensively against a stretch of West Coast games that could expose how much their hot start is masking bigger problems. If they cant tighten things up, this road trip could turn from an opportunity into an early-season reality check. [Read more 🡒]
Tage Thompson Just Gave Sabres Fans A Much Needed Reason To Believe
The Sabres needed something to feel good about early in this road trip, and Tage Thompson delivered it in a setting where Buffalo has often had to grind for every inch. Thompson scored twice in the 3-2 win over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena, giving the Sabres a result that felt more substantial than just another mark in the standings. The game had the usual back-and-forth feel of two teams trading chances, with Buffalo finding enough offense to stay in front when it mattered.
For a club trying to build some momentum away from home, this was the kind of night that can matter beyond one result. Thompsons impact gave Buffalo a chance to leave Los Angeles with a win and a little more belief, while the Kings were left to sort through a loss in a game that stayed tight throughout. The Sabres will take the points, and they will also take the reminder that one of their top scorers can still tilt a game when the margin is razor thin. [Read more 🡒]