Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (WGR 550) – One of the reasons the Buffalo Sabres have won 5-out-of-7 games is that Tage Thompson has been playing at the top of his game.
Thompson hasn’t been able to score much, though, and has a shooting percentage of 9.4%. Last year when he scored 47 goals, his shooting percentage was 15.9%, and the year before when he netted 38 goals, his shooting percentage was 15%.
With the quality scoring chances that he’s been producing, you have to assume the luck that is sometimes involved will finally turn his way.
"He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. It’s going to work out," said Sabres head coach Don Granato on Monday. "You can’t bring negative in. You can’t play the victim mentality, and he’s done none of that. He was an impact in that game [Sunday against Carolina]. He was dynamic in that game even though he didn’t score.
"Even though he’s not scoring, what he’s doing right now is wearing on other teams and causing major stress. That opens up things for other guys, and it’s inevitable, because you’re not going to keep him off the scoresheet. I love the way he’s playing."
In order for the Sabres to win on a regular basis, Thompson does have to score goals. However, Granato says it also has to be more of a team effort around him.
"We have to win games, and he’s helping us win games by playing that way because it’s putting lots of stress on the opposition, and opening things up for the rest of the group. That's big," Granato said.
It would only make sense that the lack of scoring this year would frustrate Thompson. Granato says it’s more than that.
"He wants to win, so I think that’s been the bigger drag on him, and he’s felt at times," he said. "That he’s not been helping us win, because he’s very serious on being able to help us win, and feeling that he has to score to help us win.
"I think in his core, he knows he’s a legitimate NHL star player. I think he knows he’s going to score at the level that he has scored, and he just has to stick with the process. You see him playing with confidence now that maybe he didn’t have a month ago."
Thompson has 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 48 games this season. He’s seventh on the team in scoring, and his points per-game is sixth at 0.69.
"I feel like I’ve been playing good hockey recently. Generating chances, controlling the puck and making plays and attacking the net. That’s all you can ask for," said Thompson on Sunday. "Obviously you want to score, and they’re not going in right now, but if you keep generating chances like that, they’ll eventually go in for you."
Thompson says he doesn’t dive into shooting percentages and such, but does notice the quality scoring chances he's been generating for himself.
"I feel like it’s been a couple of posts every game, or the goalie makes a couple of big saves. But those are just times where you’ve got to find a way, or bear down and get one," Thompson said. "I think maybe if you get a lucky bounce here or there, maybe it starts to snowball for you and you get a few more, and you’ll get hot. I’ve just got to find a way to get one and try to build off that. With that being said, I’m playing the right way and generating chances. I think our team has been playing well, and for me, it’s just continue to play that way and stay positive, and try not to get frustrated."
Thompson has told me in the past nobody is harder on him than himself.
"It’s hard not to get frustrated, because that’s what I like to do. I like to score, and especially when you’re playing good, it’s even more frustrating," he said this time around. "It would be different if I didn’t think I was playing great, and then you don’t think you deserve those points or those goals, but I’m playing the right way and not getting rewarded for it. Obviously the team relies on me to score and produce, and that’s something I’ve got to find a way to do. They’re not going in as easily as I’d like, so it’s just finding a way."
With all the minutes Rasmus Dahlin has been playing, he was given Monday off from practice. Dahlin played 31:43 on Sunday, marking the sixth-straight game he's played 29:10 or more. The defenseman has played 28:59 or more in 8-out-of-9 games.
Jeff Skinner left practice early on Monday, and was having some imaging taken before the team left for Florida.
Tyson Jost was called up from the Rochester Americans on Monday. Jost played 29 games with the Sabres earlier this season and scored two goals and two assists for four points.
In 23 games with the Amerks, he has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points.
