postgame

When JJ Peterka scored an empty-net goal 14:26 into Tuesday’s third period to complete his first career hat trick, an underwhelming sprinkle of headwear hit the KeyBank Center ice.

That’s because much of the crowd had already discarded their hats 11 minutes prior as Tage Thompson secured a three-goal night of his own, his seventh at the NHL level.

With three goals and one assist apiece, Thompson and Peterka led the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 thrashing of the Boston Bruins.

Fittingly, Buffalo’s most recent two-hat trick game had come against the Atlanta Thrashers on Jan. 18, 2008, courtesy of Derek Roy and Drew Stafford.

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      Tage Thompson scores hat trick goal

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          JJ Peterka scores hat trick goal

          “We’ve been working more and more just to get more pucks to the net, and I think tonight was a good example of that,” said Peterka, whose four points also set a career high.

          The linemates both logged plus-six ratings in roughly 16 minutes of ice time. Entering Tuesday, the last plus-six game by a Sabres skater belonged to Richard Smehlik on Feb. 2, 1998.

          “Both of us have the ability to slow the game down and hold onto pucks,” Thompson said, “but I think we’re both at our best when we’re pushing things north and supporting, skating to each other, creating little 2-on-1s on the ice. And I thought tonight was a good example of that.”

          Thompson and Peterka both praised rookie center Jiri Kulich, who recently joined them on Buffalo’s top line, for a 200-foot game that has helped generate such offensive production of late.

          “I think (he’s) a super easy guy to play with – super skilled, such a smart player,” Peterka said of Kulich, who finished the night with one assist and a plus-four rating. “I think even D-zone stuff, he plays such a good, honest game, which helps us be on offense way more.”

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              JJ Peterka addresses the media

              Thompson now has a team-leading 14 points (7+7) in 12 games this month, including an NHL-leading six goals since Jan. 20. Peterka, meanwhile, ranks second on the Sabres with 13 points (4+9) in January.

              “I think our line’s been doing a great job of generating and creating chances,” Thompson said. “A couple of those games in the past, we’ve been facing some good goalies or bad puck luck, whatever you want to call it. Now it’s starting to open up for us a little bit. And when you get stuff rolling like that, you’ve got to just ride that wave and keep firing pucks at the net and get to the net. When you do that, good things happen.”

              Typically a center, Thompson has primarily played right wing in recent weeks. The move, initially prompted by an injury, has helped Thompson reignite his offensive fire.

              “Playing center, it’s a bigger responsibility,” Ruff said. “He’s coming up the ice a little later. And when I look at what he was generating, and now what he’s generating just playing the wing and letting Kuli do the work, it only makes sense just to leave him there. And the fact he got three tonight should help me talk him into it."

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                  Lindy Ruff addresses the media

                  Thompson appears to be easing his way back into some of a center's responsibilities, taking eight, five and five faceoffs in the last three games. But as long as the line continues clicking with Kulich in the middle, Buffalo’s coach is unlikely to mess with it.

                  “Edmonton (was) a little bit of a down game for that line, but I thought they bounced back and had one hell of a night,” Ruff said.

                  Here’s more from the win.

                  1. Three times during their four-game road trip, the Sabres allowed a goal less than a minute after scoring one. They twice returned the favor on Tuesday.

                  In the first period, just 55 seconds after Mason Lohrei opened the scoring for Boston, Thompson rocketed a one-timer from the slot past Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

                  Midway through the third, Brad Marchand scored to narrow Buffalo’s lead to 4-2. Thirty seconds later, Peterka restored the three-goal advantage by speeding through Boston’s defensemen, swerving left and lifting a shot past Swayman for his second goal of the night.

                  “Right after a team scores, that’s the most important shift of the game,” Thompson said. “… (We’ve) been in a lot of those situations where we have a lead, they score and that next shift is a huge impact on the game. Tonight, we were able to crush any momentum they had and kind of tilt the ice back in our favor.”

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                      Tage Thompson addresses the media

                      2. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves on 28 shots to earn his 16th win.

                      His most timely stops came in the back half of the second period, when the Sabres led 3-1 but faced Boston’s biggest surge of the night. On one chance, forward Cole Koepke pounced on a rebound in the crease but couldn’t pull his backhand attempt around Luukkonen’s fully extended left pad.

                      “I feel like the guys in front of me did a really, really good job today, defensively and offensively,” said Luukkonen, whose 14-save second period opened the door for the Sabres’ four-goal third-period outburst.

                      His most impressive save, however, came when Buffalo held a late 6-2 lead. Trent Frederic and Vinni Lettieri broke out for a 2-on-0 rush, but Luukkonen flashed the glove to deny Lettieri’s shot.

                      “Upie made one heck of a save,” Ruff said. “I was even clapping on that one.”

                      3. Tuesday marked Buffalo’s first home win versus the Bruins since April 23, 2021, snapping a six-game losing streak.

                      Up next

                      The Sabres will induct former enforcer and current broadcaster Rob Ray into the team’s Hall of Fame prior to their game against the Nashville Predators on Friday.

                      Find more information on the night here.

                      Can’t make it downtown? MSG will have coverage of the ceremony beginning at 6 p.m.