“We may have lost tonight, but we’re fighting for each other, and we’ll keep pushing until we get it right. This team is built to battle, and we’re not backing down.”
— Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres Forward
The Buffalo Sabres may have suffered their fourth consecutive loss in regulation, but don’t let the final score fool you—this team is far from defeated. Despite falling 6-3 to the Colorado Avalanche, the Sabres showed they have the heart to compete with the best, and their resilience is something no one should underestimate.
It all started with a nightmare first period: just 52 seconds into the game, Martin Necas put the Avalanche on the board with a breakaway goal, followed by Artturi Lehkonen’s goal five minutes later. The Sabres were reeling, and head coach Lindy Ruff knew he had to act fast. He pulled starting goalie Alex Lyon, bringing in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in hopes of shifting momentum. The move worked.
“Taking the goalie out was to buy me some time and talk to the team for a second, to get organized and say, ‘We’re going to get back in this game,’”
Ruff said. “And I thought we did. Had nothing to do with Lyon.”
The change sparked the Sabres. Within minutes, Bowen Byram got them on the board, and then Jordan Greenway, with his first goal of the season, tied it up after a beautiful chip-in from Owen Power. The Sabres’ response was strong, with some of their best offensive play of the season.
But despite their efforts, the Avalanche’s relentless attack was too much to overcome. Buffalo tied the game late in the second period on a power play goal from Tage Thompson, marking a significant moment for the team after struggling with the man advantage.
“We changed things around, we moved the puck quicker, we were a lot more direct,” Ruff said about the revamped power play. “That’s a lot of pressure on two young kids to play on the power play, but I thought they did a good job.”
Yet, just over a minute later, the Avalanche took the lead once again with a deflection goal by Gavin Brindley, and the Sabres couldn’t recover. Necas added another goal for Colorado, followed by an empty-netter from Gabriel Landeskog to seal the victory for the league-leading Avalanche.
Despite the loss, there’s no denying the fight this team showed, especially from Thompson, who was moved to the first-line center position. With 11 faceoff wins and a two-point effort, Thompson’s performance sparked the Sabres’ offensive push.
“I felt like myself; felt way better in the middle,” Thompson said after the game. “I thought I was moving my feet really well. For me, I like being in the middle. You can carry the puck and kind of dictate the pace of the game.”
“We may have lost tonight, but we’re fighting for each other, and we’ll keep pushing until we get it right. This team is built to battle, and we’re not backing down.”
Thompson’s words carry weight, and fans should take notice. The Sabres may have fallen short on the scoreboard, but their fight, grit, and determination are exactly what will carry them forward.
Next up, the Sabres are heading to Detroit, where they’ll look to turn their fortunes around against the Red Wings. It’s not just about wins—it’s about proving to the league that the Sabres are a team to be reckoned with. And if they keep fighting like this, they’re bound to break through.
“We’ve been fighting it a little bit the past couple of games, so, yeah, two points would’ve been huge for us,” said Greenway after the game. “Couldn’t find a way to do it, so we’ve got to move on to Detroit.”
This is a team that’s hungry for success, and they’re not backing down. Keep an eye on the Buffalo Sabres—they’ve got plenty of fight left in them.
The Minnesota Wild (8-7-4) is back on home ice tonight to host the Vegas Golden Knights (8-4-5). The Wild will be without forward Vladimir Tarasenko for the second straight game.
Tarasenko, 33, has two goals and ten points in 18 games this year for the Wild. He missed Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks with a lower-body injury and will not play again on Sunday.
Wild head coach John Hynes said after the game that Tarasenko’s status will be day-to-day.