3 most impressive Buffalo Sabres players from 3-2 S/O win over Tampa Bay Lightning feat. Tage Thompson

It takes some doing for a club that has all but officially eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention to beat a playoff-bound team with numerous high-end players, but that’s what the Buffalo Sabres did to the Tampa Bay Lighting on Saturday night.

The Sabres put a hold on the inevitable, beating the Lightning by a 3-2 final score in the shootout to improve to 33-36-6; the Lightning fell to 44-26-6.

Neither team found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes of play, though that wasn’t the case in the second period. The Lightning broke the deadlock with Brayden Point’s 39th goal of the season, giving them a 1-0 lead. Not to be outdone, Buffalo knotted the score at 1-1 thanks to Tage Thompson; it was his 40th goal.

The Lightning re-took the lead after Gage Goncalves scored his sixth goal of the season, only to have Jason Zucker respond for Buffalo in the third period with a power-play goal.

After neither team scored in overtime, Buffalo secured the win in the shootout thanks to goals from Jack Quinn and Alex Tuch.

3 most impressive Buffalo Sabres players from 3-2 S/O win over Tampa Bay Lightning

#1. Tage Thompson

The best player up front for the Sabres, Thompson demonstrated why he remains one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the NHL today.

Despite playing for a struggling team, it hasn’t slowed Thompson down as he once again reached the 40-goal mark; he played in a total of 22:50 of ice time while also firing four shots on goal.

After 38 goals in 2021-22, Thompson reached 47 goals scored the following season before dipping to 29 last season. However, he’s roared back by hitting 40 for the second time in his career in 2024-25.

#2. Jason Zucker

Signed to provide a veteran presence, Zucker did so for Buffalo on Saturday night in their win over the Lightning.

He scored the game-tying goal in the third period, striking on the power-play for his 20th goal of the season.

He appeared in 15:47 of total ice time.

#3. James Reimer

Speaking of a veteran presence, that perfectly describes Reimer in the Buffalo net.

At 37 years of age, he’s one of the elder statesmen on the Sabres but has played well down the stretch for the club. He picked up his eighth win of the season by turning aside 22 of the 24 shots that he faced from the Lightning.

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alt=”Mike Whitaker” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Michael Whitaker is a sports journalist based in metro Detroit with nearly a full decade of experience with publications like Detroit Sports Nation, Hockey Feed, Clutch Points and Bally Sports Detroit. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Eastern Michigan University.

Michael grew up playing ice hockey and now plays casually, and he supports his childhood team, the Detroit Red Wings. His favorite sporting moment was the Red Wings giving an injured Vladimir Konstantinov the Stanley Cup in his wheelchair following the 1998 win, on his birthday of June 16.

Michael has conducted exclusive interviews with former Detroit Red Wings trainer John Wharton, as well as four-time Stanley Cup champion Kirk Maltby.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys concerts, sporting events, visiting the gym, and playing with his 8-year-old labradoodle Gordie.

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Edited by Brad Taningco