Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – If you’re looking for someone to hold themselves accountable, look no farther than Tage Thompson.
When the week started, the Buffalo Sabres were in good shape to make the playoffs. After three losses, they’ve put themselves in a bad spot, although they still control their own destiny with the New York Islanders.
Thompson had two assists in the 10-4 blowout loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, but he didn’t score in the three most important games of the season.
The 25-year-old is one of the most gifted goal scorers in the NHL, which means he’s getting attention from teams that he’s not used to. He knows he has to figure out a way to produce, despite the extra attention.
“It’s just something new, you’ve got to find a way and I will," said Thompson on Friday following practice.
“It’s something you face, you adapt, you learn new ways to create chances. I know how I’m going to create chances, just being more responsible in the D-zone. Let other teams make mistakes first, and then I’ll capitalize on that.”
Thompson is also not happy with how his line has been operating as of late
“I think as a line too, at times, as of late, we’ve been a little disconnected." he said. "I think as a whole team, we’ve been a little disconnected, not supporting each other coming out of the zone. I think when we’re all over teams and have really tight support coming up the ice together, when we’re doing that, it helps my individual game as well. I’ve got to give myself mental reminders.”
Yes, for the second time in a week, the Sabres hung their goalies out to face breakaways, some of which were 2-on-0.
“I think we were cheating a little too much for offense, and giving them too many easy looks. When you get down, you’ve got to simplify and play the right way, and we did the opposite," Thompson said. "We tried to force things and sniff for offense.”
Thompson has not been satisfied with his game, either, this week.
“You look across the room and you realize you’re letting your teammates down. Me, in particular, the way I’ve been playing, you’ve got to look in the mirror and be better," he said.
Sabres head coach Don Granato has talked about how their system is failing because of poor execution and reads, and, of course, turning pucks over and pressing for offense.
He also talks about how impatient they get, especially their star players, which only sends them into turnovers and coverage errors.
The Sabres host the New York Rangers on Saturday for a 5 p.m. EST faceoff in Downtown Buffalo. Join Brian Koziol for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 4 p.m. EST when you’ll hear from Granato, Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson.
