The Buffalo Sabres left the West Coast with exactly what they wanted: three straight wins and a 7-4-3 record after a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon.
It didn’t come easy. Buffalo built a 2-0 lead, watched the Kings claw back to tie it, then leaned on Tage Thompson again when it mattered most. Thompson’s power-play goal in the third period put the Sabres back in front for good after Jack Quinn had opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period and Thompson added another in the second.
That finish was a fitting cap to a road trip that started with wins over the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. The Sabres didn’t just survive the trip - they found a few things that looked worth carrying home.
The most obvious one is the power play. Through the first 12 games of the season, Buffalo had only four power-play goals.
Then it suddenly came alive on this trip, scoring four in its last two games. The Sabres had two against the Ducks on Thursday night and followed that with two more against the Kings, with Quinn and Thompson both cashing in with the extra man.
That’s a small sample, sure, but it was the best the unit has looked in a long time.
Thompson was the driving force behind it. Since Buffalo moved him onto a line with Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs, he has been on a tear.
Against Los Angeles, he scored once at even strength and once on the power play after piling up a hat trick against the Ducks. That gives him 10 goals on the season, and he’s already well ahead of where he was a year ago, when he didn’t reach 10 until the 20th game.
If this pace holds, the Sabres could be staring at their first 50-goal scorer since Pat LaFontaine in the 1992-93 season.
There was also a much-needed bounce-back from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. No Sabres player has been under more scrutiny, and on Saturday he delivered his best start of the season. Luukkonen stopped 27 of 29 shots and, for the first time this year, gave up fewer than three goals.
Natural Stat Trick had his Expected Goals Against at 3.49, which tells the story of a goalie who had to make some tough saves and keep Buffalo afloat at key moments. It was a strong response, though the Sabres will need more outings like that if they want to put the rough start behind them.
Buffalo also helped its goalie out by turning the game into a shot-blocking clinic. The Sabres blocked 30 shots, with Mattias Samuelsson leading the way with eight. Tyson Kozak, Owen Power and Olen Zellweger each had four.
That number stands out even more when you zoom out. Buffalo has blocked 59 shots over the last three games after averaging only 11.45 through its first 11 games.
After a deflating loss to the Washington Capitals, this road trip turned into a productive one for the Sabres. They head back home with momentum and four straight games at KeyBank Center beginning Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.
In Other News...
Lindy Ruff Backed What Tage Thompson Did Late In Buffalo's Win
Late in Buffalos win over the Los Angeles Kings, Tage Thompson gave the Sabres something more than offense to hang onto. After Joel Edmundsons hit on Peyton Krebs along the boards, Thompson stepped in and took a roughing penalty while the game was still hanging in the balance, a reminder that the Sabres are trying to build more than just scoring depth under Lindy Ruff.
Ruff made it clear he had no issue with the response, backing Thompsons choice to stand up for a teammate. Buffalo then had to absorb the pressure and protect the result, and the episode fit neatly into the kind of identity the coach keeps pushing: a team willing to answer when one of its own gets hit. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Can Test Whether Ottawas Hot Offense Hides A Bigger Problem
The Senators are heading into a Western swing with plenty of questions attached to a team that has looked dangerous going forward but uneven everywhere else. Ottawas offense has carried much of the early optimism, with Tim Sttzle and Drake Batherson driving the attack, but the lineup is also dealing with a cluster of injuries that has complicated the picture, including absences or uncertainty around key names such as Warren Foegele, Andre Burakovsky and William Eklund.
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 🡒]