Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres appear to have found some of their offensive swagger again after a pair of consecutive wins. They were able to salvage the final game of a four-game road trip with a come-from-behind overtime win in Detroit over the Red Wings, and then they dominated the Edmonton Oilers on home ice.
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In Monday's win, Buffalo put up one of the best start-to-finish performances of the season in a 5-1 win over Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the high-flying Oilers. It was a performance that had head coach Lindy Ruff pleased in every facet of the game.
"It was a game the club played well in all three zones," said Ruff during his weekly appearance with the "Jeremy and Joe Show" on WGR. "We defended well, against a couple of top order lines, it can create quite a bit. And I thought our discipline for, staying away from giving Edmonton too many power plays was really good again, too. So yeah, really, from start-to-finish, I liked our game."
Tage Thompson has been putting it together since he moved to center to cover for injuries. As players get healthy again, the question remains if he will remain there or move back to the wing.
"I think short-term here, just leave him in the middle, if he's going as well as he's gone here the last two or three games," Ruff said with Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase. "We've changed a little bit of structure, which has helped him. But out of necessity, putting him back in the middle, he has done a good job for us. Skating wise, I think when you go back and look at how successful he was on the right side playing with two lefties, with a left-handed centerman there for a long period with [Jiri] Kulich, and then a left-handed winger with [Zach] Benson, the puck a lot of times will work his way to the right side.
"I have no problem if he continues down this path, just leaving him there. When [Josh] Norris comes back, he could assume the No. 2 spot, and that's a great problem to have. I hope he continues playing the way he has been, and we just leave him in the middle."
The Sabres will next hit the ice for game action on Wednesday night against the Calgary Flames at KeyBank Center. Puck drop is set for 7:30p.m. on the radio home of the Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.