BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson wasn’t going to let Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights spoil his gold-medal tribute in Buffalo.
Riding the wave of energy generated by a sold-out building following a pregame celebration honoring the U.S. hockey Olympian, Thompson scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the Sabres’ 3-2 win on Tuesday night.
“What an amazing reception from the crowd. It was a little emotional for me,” said Thompson, who was honored in the Sabres’ first home game since the American men won their first hockey gold medal in 46 years following a 2-1 overtime win over Canada at the Milan Cortina Games.
“We were looking around before puck drop, just everyone fired up. Such a cool atmosphere, and I thought that helped us right out of the gate,” he added. “To score and hear the crowd, that was probably the loudest I’ve heard it. Really cool.”
The pregame chants of “USA!” grew even louder when Thompson put the Sabres up 3-0 at the 5:44 mark of the second period by taking Alex Tuch’s no-look pass and rifling in a shot from the right circle that beat Akira Schmid high on the far side.
Buffalo then hung on after the Golden Knights cut the lead to 3-2 on goals scored 1:37 apart by Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev.
“Obviously, not all of them are gonna be pretty, but they don’t ask how,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s goal was his team-leading 33rd and led to him extending his point streak to a career record-matching eight games in which he’s combined for five goals and nine points. And that doesn’t include the three goals and assist he produced in Milan.
During the pregame ceremony, Thompson was joined at center by U.S. teammates Eichel and Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin as well as Sabres massage therapist Brett Crompton, who held the same role for Team USA. The four posed for a photo with Crompton unfurling a U.S. flag.
The 28-year-old Thompson was joined by his wife, children and mother for a ceremonial opening faceoff with Eichel. Now in his fifth season in Vegas since forcing his trade out of Buffalo, Eichel drew a cheer upon taking the faceoff.
Once play began, Sabres fans quickly turned on Eichel, booing him each time he touched the puck as has been customary following six seasons in Buffalo.
“I don’t know what the plan is for tonight, but listen, I’m so proud of Tage, and he deserves all the recognition and all the support and love from the crowd,” Eichel said, earlier in the day.
Eichel and Hanifin will have to wait until Friday to be honored at home. That’s when Vegas returns from a five-game road trip to host Minnesota.
The Sabres also paid tribute to two members of the U.S. gold medal-winning women’s team, who have local connections. Forward Hayley Scamurra, who is from Buffalo, and defender Haley Winn, from nearby Rochester, New York, each addressed the crowd by video.
The Sabres had rally towels printed and placed on each seat before the game. They featured the initials “TNT,” representing Tage Nathaniel Thompson, and a nickname he’s picked up on team broadcasts.
Thompson was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up in Connecticut.
The celebration for Thompson came as the Sabres are enjoying a remarkable turnaround to put themselves in position to snap an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought. Buffalo (35-19-6) entered the day in second place in the Atlantic Division standings and 24-5-2 in their past 31 outings.
Thompson is in his eighth season in Buffalo, where he gradually emerged as the team’s top scoring threat. Acquired in a trade that sent Ryan O’Reilly to St. Louis in July 2018, Thompson overcame injuries and needing to develop in the minors to blossom into a star. He’s now topped 29 goals in five straight seasons.
Eichel and Thompson’s careers overlapped in Buffalo over three years.
“Eichs is one of the guys when I was first here that I looked up to,” Thompson said of Eichel, who forced his departure from Buffalo over a dispute over how to treat a neck injury.
“Obviously unbelievable player and someone I always tried to emulate parts of my game after him, just being a big strong power forward,” he added. “So it was cool going to the Olympics and kind of going full circle playing with him there.”
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