Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres finally return home on Tuesday to play the Vegas Golden Knights. Buffalo last played a home game back on Feb. 5 when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2.
The Sabres had been playing very well on home ice, but they’ve lost two in-a-row, three out of four and 4-of-7, going 3-3-1. Overall, they’re still 18-11-3 this season.
This is the first time Tage Thompson has been on home ice since he won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. He’ll be honored along with his U.S. teammates Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin before puck drop, and Thompson looks forward to it.
"I’m not sure entirely what they have set up, but Jack and Noah will be a part of that, because like [Jack] Hughes said, 'It’s about the team. It’s not about one individual,'" said Thompson following practice on Monday. "You don’t get to accomplish what we did by just one person."
As far as the reception Eichel will get, Thompson is hoping for the best.
"I would hope there would be a positive reaction," he said. "I think we did something great for this country. I know he gave everything he had to this organization when he was here, obviously it didn’t end the way any of us wanted it to. He put everything he had into this city, and he put everything he had into that USA team. So I would hope it’ll be a really good reaction for him."
As for the game itself, Thompson can’t wait to be in front of the sellout crowd.
"It was cool coming back to the States, seeing the reception we got, and then having our first game against [New] Jersey with Jack [Hughes] was really cool and the reception that he got," he said.
"Buffalo’s a blue collar town, and I hope the medal meant a lot to them. I’m very excited to be back in front of them playing, so I’m looking forward to it, for sure."
Every fan will get a "TNT" towel with the gold medal on the front. They were putting them on the seats Monday during practice.
"I wasn’t expecting that. That was really cool," Thompson said. "I’m excited to see those towels being waved. I heard it’s already sold out, so the place will be rocking, and the boys are playing good hockey. Everyone is excited for it."
The fans have really been enjoying this team since they took off in early December, and this building has been very loud quite a few times. Things haven’t always been that way between this group of players and the fans.
"Over my time here, we’ve had spurts where we’ve had crowds like that where the atmosphere’s been just outrageous. It’s something you dream of playing in front of every night," Thompson said. "I think we’ve gotten to the point now where hopefully they will be there every night like that.
"Obviously we have to keep winning, but it’s something that gives us a lot of energy, helps our team late in games. It’s easy to get up for games like that, when you come out onto the ice and there’s 20,000 people just screaming. It’s a difference maker."
Eichel got his wish to be traded by the Sabres back on Nov. 4, 2021, and the fans never forgave him. He has gotten booed louder than any other player I can remember in Buffalo.
Tuesday is a different circumstance with the team honoring the three members of Team USA. Thompson was just getting his NHL career going when Eichel was here.
In six years, Eichel played 375 games with the Sabres.
"'Eichs' was one of the guys when I was first here, I looked up to and someone I tried to emulate parts of my game after him. Just being a big, strong power forward," Thompson admitted.
"He’s got a ton of skill. He skates really well. I just tried to watch him on and off the ice, the things that he would do. It was cool going to the Olympics and going full circle and playing with him there. When I was playing with him here, my game wasn’t where it is now, so it was cool picking each other’s brains on different things. It was definitely unique being back with him."
After the Olympics, Thompson had a whirlwind 48 hours, and then played three games in four nights. I had to ask him if he felt any fatigue during those games.
"Yes," Thompson said with a big laugh. "That was a grind, for sure. But as fun as winning the gold was and the aftermath, I was really excited to get back with the guys here and continue to finish what we had going.
"I probably wasn’t at full health those three games, but you do what you’ve got to do. Our team has been playing great hockey, and we got the job done on that road trip (3-0-0). It was a huge trip for us.
"I probably felt the worst in Jersey. Tampa I didn’t feel as bad, I started to find my legs again. But Jersey and Florida was, for sure, a grind."
The Montreal Canadiens still hold onto second place in the Atlantic Division with a points percentage of .636. The Sabres are third at .633, while the Detroit Red Wings are next at .623. The Boston Bruins are hanging in there at .602.
The Atlantic Division has four of the top-nine teams in the NHL. Buffalo is eighth overall.
The Sabres are seventh in goal scoring at 3.38 goals per-game.
Eichel leads Vegas in scoring with 21 goals and 47 assists for 68 points.
Goaltending has been an issue for this Golden Knights team. Akira Schmid is 16-7-6 this season with a 2.55 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage. Meanwhile, Adin Hill is 5-4-3 this year with a 3.47 goals-against average and an .858 save percentage.
Vegas has played three games after the break, where they won in Los Angeles, 6-4, and then lost in Washington, 3-2, and in Pittsburgh on Sunday, 5-0.
The Golden Knights are second in the Pacific Division and in a very close race. The Anaheim Ducks are first at .585, while Vegas is at .583. The Seattle Kraken are third at .558.
The Golden Knights' second-leading scorer and captain Mark Stone will miss this game due to injury.
Join Chris "Bulldog" Parker for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. when you’ll hear from Lindy Ruff, Thompson and Noah Ostlund, talking about jumping in to defend Rasmus Dahlin, who was laying on the ice after being slashed in Tampa.
Related
