Tage Thompson’s Five-Point Night Lifts Surging Sabres in Emotional Reunion Win Over Canadiens
On a night filled with nostalgia and noise, the Buffalo Sabres gave their fans more than just a trip down memory lane - they delivered another statement win in what’s becoming a season to remember.
Thursday night at KeyBank Center started with a celebration of the 2005-06 Sabres, a beloved team that came within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final and still holds a special place in Buffalo hockey lore. Two decades later, many of those players - including Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville - were back on the ice, drawing roars from a packed house as highlights from that magical run played overhead.
But when the puck dropped, it was the 2025-26 Sabres who stole the show.
Buffalo outgunned the Montreal Canadiens in a gritty, high-energy 5-3 win that pushed their record to a scorching 15-2-0 over their last 17 games. They're now just three points back of Montreal in the division standings - with two games in hand.
And at the center of it all? Tage Thompson, who put together one of the most dominant individual performances of the NHL season with a five-point night, including his ninth career hat trick.
Thompson Goes Off
Thompson wasted no time making his presence felt. After Montreal’s Cole Caufield opened the scoring early in the first, Thompson answered just 54 seconds later with a power-play goal - his 200th career tally, for those keeping track. It was the kind of quick-strike response that sets the tone, and he wasn’t done.
Later in the period, Thompson picked up the primary assist on Josh Doan’s power-play goal, helping Buffalo’s once-struggling man advantage continue its recent resurgence. That’s four power-play goals in the last two games after a long dry spell - a welcome sign for a team that’s found its groove at just the right time.
In the second, with the Sabres trailing 3-2, Thompson danced through traffic and threaded a perfect feed to Alex Tuch for the game-tying goal. Then came the dagger: midway through the third, Peyton Krebs won a puck battle along the boards, and Thompson finished off a slick 2-on-1 with Doan to give Buffalo the lead for good.
The hats came raining down with 1:40 left, when Thompson sealed the game with an empty-netter - his third goal and fifth point of the night, just one shy of his career high.
“When he gets rolling, he doesn’t miss his mark very often,” said head coach Lindy Ruff. “He gets it off so quick that I don’t think the goalie can adjust. It was one of those nights - anything he shot, you felt like it was going in.”
Since Buffalo’s season started to turn around back on Dec. 9 in Edmonton, Thompson has been on a tear: 26 points in 17 games, including three games with at least three points. He’s not just producing - he’s elevating in big moments.
“There’s a reason why he’s on that Olympic team,” said Tuch. “He’s a game-changer every single night. When he’s feeling it like that, he’s unstoppable.”
Thompson, now in his eighth NHL season, is embracing the pressure - and loving the ride.
“We’re all competitors, we want to be the best all the time,” he said postgame. “When the stakes get raised, I think everyone wants to be the guy that leads the team. That’s what makes you a good player.”
He added: “This is the most fun I think I’ve had here my entire career. We’ve got something really good going, and it doesn’t feel fabricated.
It feels real. And I think everyone in the room believes it.”
Ellis Battles Through Rookie Moment
Goaltender Colten Ellis picked up his sixth win of the season, making 20 saves in a performance that had a little bit of everything - including a moment he’ll want to learn from.
Midway through the third, with Buffalo nursing a 4-3 lead, Ellis tried to play the puck behind the net but turned it over directly to Montreal’s Oliver Kapanen. What followed was pure chaos - a flurry of chances for the Canadiens, a huge block by Jason Zucker, and ultimately, two clutch saves by Ellis to clean up his own mess.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was gutsy - and it kept Buffalo in front.
Physicality Turns Up
Zucker, who had already made a key defensive play, took a big open-ice hit from Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj in the second period and missed some time. Ruff didn’t mince words afterward.
“I thought it was a purposeful accidental [hit], if you want to analyze it that way,” Ruff said. “He knew what he was doing, and he got him pretty good. He’ll be sore tomorrow, but I think when you win, it makes you feel a little bit better.”
From there, things got chippy. Post-whistle scrums became the norm, and Jordan Greenway nearly took on both Xhekaj and Josh Anderson in one heated exchange. The Sabres didn’t just match Montreal’s physicality - they embraced it.
Honoring the Past, Building the Future
The night wasn’t just about the current team. As part of the 2005-06 reunion, the Sabres announced that Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame next season.
“Two incredible players and very well deserved,” Ruff said. “Thomas, first and foremost, one of the best net-front goal scorers I’ve been around.
… And with Pominville, I remember a French scout once told me he had the hands of a surgeon. He was right.”
The Sabres of 2005-06 were fast, fearless, and fun. The 2025-26 version? They’re starting to look a lot like that - and maybe even better.
With Thompson leading the way, the power play heating up, and the team playing with confidence and chemistry, Buffalo is quietly becoming one of the most dangerous teams in the league. And if Thursday was any indication, they’re just getting started.