Thompson helps Sabres hold off Devils for 3rd straight win

BUFFALO -- Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists before leaving with an injury, and the Buffalo Sabres held off the New Jersey Devils for a 4-3 win at KeyBank Center on Sunday.

Thompson left the game at 5:11 of the third period after he was hit by New Jersey forward Stefan Noesen, who was assessed a match penalty on the play.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Thompson is good and “passed all the tests.”

“You got to have respect for players,” said Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin, who will represent Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off from Feb. 12-20. “I’m not diving towards a guy in the neutral zone like that. I don’t think that’s part of hockey. But emotions out there, stuff happens out there. They want to build momentum, too, so, it’s part of it.”

Jason Zucker and JJ Peterka also scored, and Dahlin had two assists for the Sabres (21-26-5), who have won three in a row. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves.

“We’re getting better at grinding,” Ruff said. “Finally, we’re getting better at grinding. I like the aggressiveness, even the last 30 seconds. We went after them.”

Paul Cotter scored twice, and Jack Hughes also scored for the Devils (29-19-6), who had won three of four. Jake Allen allowed four goals on 27 shots before being replaced at the start of the third period by Nico Daws, who stopped all seven shots he faced in relief.

“Just breakdowns (in the first period), just not respecting their best players, and they embarrassed us. So, that’s the difference in the game,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said.

Thompson gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 8:11 of the first period, picking up a rebound and beating Allen five-hole from the slot.

“He’s a special talent,” Zucker said of Thompson. “I think he finds ways to score goals in a lot of different ways. People talk about his big shot and of course he has that, but his goal tonight, he drives to the paint, gets a rebound goal. He makes a lot of little plays. He’s a big part of our team.”

Peterka made it 2-0 at 15:50. Thompson stole the puck from Jesper Bratt down low and sent a seam pass to Peterka, who kicked it from his skate to his stick and poked it in backdoor.

Ryan McLeod scored a short-handed goal to extend it to 3-0 at 19:31, skating in and sliding a backhand past Allen’s left pad.

“We need to win games,” said Bratt, who will also represent Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off. “Our line especially (with Hughes and Ondrej Palat), we weren’t detailed enough in the first. We had some pushback, but it’s hard to win those games when you start in the second period with a 3-0 lead (against you). We’re making some good plays but that’s got to be from minute one, and me and our line just didn’t do a good job.”

Cotter cut it to 3-1 at 4:38 of the second period when he pushed the puck in amid a scramble in the crease. Initially ruled no goal on the ice, the call was overturned after a video review confirmed the puck crossed the goal line.

Zucker pushed it to 4-1 at 17:25, scoring into an open net off a pass from Thompson in front.

Cotter scored 18 seconds into the third period to cut it to 4-2, lifting a shot short side under the crossbar from low in the left circle.

Hughes scored short-handed with a backhand through Luukkonen’s pads on a 2-on-1 to make it 4-3 at 5:32.

“We put ourselves in that position early,” Cotter said. “Normally when a team gets a lead like that, it’s pretty hard to come back. I think as the game went on, we got a little bit better, but our start needs to be a lot better.”

NOTES: Hughes extended his point streak to five games (three goals, three assists). ... Palat played in his 800th NHL game. … Dahlin’s assist on McLeod's goal was his 330th NHL point, passing Mike Ramsey for second-most among defensemen in Sabres history. … Thompson’s assist on Peterka’s goal was his 300th NHL point.