Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The huge news that came out of the Buffalo Sabres' 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night is that center Tage Thompson is going to miss "significant time" due to an injury, according to head coach Don Granato.
The injury took place in the second period when Thompson was killing a penalty. The center blocked a Charlie McAvoy shot on the wrist, soon left the game thereafter and did not return.
Thompson is one of the players this young Sabres team just can’t afford to lose long-term. Yes, last season they were 3-0-1 when he didn’t play, but that was only four games.
While Thompson is not scoring like he had been last year, being on a 31-goal and 62-point pace, he proved last year he can be a superstar in this league.
This is a team that is already without Alex Tuch for the last three games, but he has a chance to be back Friday in Winnipeg against the Jets.
Dylan Cozens had seemed lost for the last five games, but started Monday on the right wing with Thompson and Jeff Skinner. Being back in the top-six forwards seemed to energize him.
The 22-year-old had a really good first period, and totally looked like himself. He was hard on pucks, he was skating well and producing opportunities.
With Thompson injured, Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt are now the Sabres' top-two centers.
Mittelstadt was very good when Thompson got hurt last season, filling in with Tuch and Skinner. The line was on fire while he was there.
That leaves Cozens to play with the much improved JJ Peterka and probably Jordan Greenway.
I’ve been told forward Jiri Kulich has improved his overall game in the first month of the season with the Rochester Americans. He certainly showed in the preseason he wasn’t ready, but how much has he improved with the Amerks?
In 12 games played this season, the 19-year-old has nine goals and four assists for 13 points. He actually had those 13 points in his first 10 games, but went pointless in a home-and-home series against the Utica Comets.
If Tuch comes back, the team will need to call up a forward for the road trip. I also wonder if they’ll activate Eric Comrie, which would mean defenseman Ryan Johnson would go back to Rochester, or Jacob Bryson would be waived.
Comrie is close to being back to full health. Last season in his return to Winnipeg, Comrie stood on his head in beating the Jets.
With Tuesday's loss to the Bruins, the Sabres now have suffered three losses in four games. They’ve only scored seven goals in those four games, and they now won’t have Thompson.
In their last three games against Boston, all losses, Buffalo has been outscored 19-3.
Tuesday wasn’t Devon Levi’s night, as he allowed five goals on 18 shots faced, playing 35:07. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played the final 22:42 and stopped all 14 shots he faced.
