Tage Thompson recorded a hat trick and two assists, while Zach Benson added a goal and two assists as the Sabres survived a late Anaheim rally to win 7-6 Thursday night at Honda Center.
The first period got off to a rough start for Buffalo. Back-to-back penalties led to two Anaheim power-play goals. Mikael Granlund opened the scoring at 1:57, redirecting a Jackson LaCombe shot past Sabres goaltender Colten Ellis. Cutter Gauthier doubled the lead less than a minute later with a one-timer from the right circle.
Tyson Kozak put Buffalo on the board at 10:03 with a wrist shot through traffic, but Roger McQueen restored Anaheim’s two-goal lead at 10:38 with his first NHL goal.
Noah Östlund scored on the power play at 11:39 to bring the Sabres within one. Then, at 15:32, Tage Thompson drove toward the net, dropped his shoulder to get past Tristan Luneau and fired a shot past Ducks goaltender Ville Husso to tie the game at 3-3.
The offence took a break for a little bit, but Thompson broke through late in the second period. At 18:36, Peyton Krebs won a faceoff back to Thompson, who fired the puck past Husso from his knees to give Buffalo the lead. Fifteen seconds later, Thompson carried the puck down the boards, got around the Ducks defenders and scored to complete his hat trick.
Jack Quinn extended Buffalo’s lead early in the third period, scoring on the power play at 1:57. Zach Benson made it 7-3 at 6:37, slipping the puck past Husso on a breakaway.
The Ducks mounted a late rally. Gauthier scored his second power-play goal of the night at 7:26. With their net empty, Tristan Luneau tipped in a Judd Caulfield pass with just over a minute remaining. With 31 seconds left, Beckett Sennecke gathered a loose puck and lifted it over Ellis to make it 7-6.
Anaheim’s comeback fell short as the Ducks couldn’t find the equalizer, and Buffalo survived for the win.
The Sabres continue their West Coast road trip Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.
