Sabres’ top line was on fire in barnburner against Ducks

Fans inside the Honda Center got their money’s worth Thursday night as the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks combined for 13 goals in a 7-6 Buffalo win.

Sabres’ forward Tage Thompson led the way with a five-point night, fueled by a natural hat trick and two assists. Buffalo’s top line of Thompson, Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs dominated in possession and expected goals, as well as on the scoresheet, as Benson recorded a goal and two assists while Krebs had three assists.

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss the Sabres’ win and how impressive Buffalo’s three forwards were.

Tyler Yaremchuk: That Sabres’ top line was absolute dynamite in this victory, combining for 11 points in the win. It was a good win for Buffalo, who so far have lost most games than they’ve won, but they’re trying to get hot, and last night was a good step in that direction.

Carter Hutton: It was a good step, especially with the Toronto Maple Leafs dropping a few games. You’re trying to get points in the Atlantic Division and keep pace. I think for Peyton Krabs, being in a situation where he’s goalless with seven assists, but he’s learning how to play with a player like Tage Thompson.

Thompson is one of those guys where you don’t need to be the elite finisher, because you already have that guy. You can just find a way to settle in to the offensive zone, win pucks, win your battles, generate space, because Tage has the art of finding soft areas on the ice.

If you can facilitate that, you can make a lot of money and play a long time playing beside a guy like that. We’ve seen numerous times where Batman needs his Robin, and that’s a good role to be in. Thompson’s shot and skill is otherworldly, and we saw it last night with his natural hat trick.

That was the duo for me that was a bigtime difference maker. In these uneasy times in Buffalo, when you’re trying to establish who you are, you’re still only at 15 points and seventh in the Atlantic, that’s a win you have to have.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…