Thompson, Krebs help Sabres edge Devils

NEWARK, N.J. -- Tage Thompson, fresh off winning a gold medal with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, had a goal and an assist for the Buffalo Sabres in a 2-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Wednesday.

"I didn't feel great out there, but no better way to find it than just jumping right in," said Thompson, who had three shots on goal in 19:19 of ice time. "I was trying to keep it as simple as a can, keep short shifts. I felt better as the game got going."

Peyton Krebs also had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves for the Sabres (33-19-6), who had lost three of their past four games.

"If somebody has earned a day off, it would have been Tage, but it tells about his character," Luukkonen said of the center being in the lineup three days after winning gold in the men’s ice hockey tournament in Milan. "He's always there for us, for his teammates. He's a big part of this team, and he knows it. He's one of the big leaders."

It was the first game for each team following the break for the Olympics.

Luukkonen played his first game since Jan. 27; he missed five games prior to the Olympic break with a lower-body injury.

"I feel like we played solid defensively and I felt confident and good with my game tonight," Luukkonen said.

Timo Meier scored, and Jake Allen made 28 saves for the Devils (28-28-2), who have lost four in a row and six of seven.

"I definitely knew there was going to be a little bit of rust, but I thought we played a good first period and the game was OK," Allen said. "We did some good things, but time is ticking here and we know that. We talked about it but it didn't go our way tonight."

The game marked the return of center Jack Hughes to the New Jersey lineup. He scored 1:41 into overtime to give the United States a 2-1 win against Team Canada in the gold medal game Sunday.

"I just get goose bumps watching the video now just because the emotions are so raw and it means so much to every single one of those guys," Hughes said. "We're all genuinely just so happy for each other that we won."

Hughes missed the Devils’ last three games prior to the Olympic break with a lower-body injury. He had an assist and one shot on goal in 21:25 of ice time Wednesday.

"It's obviously been some of the best three days of my life, probably," he said. "I had so much fun with this group of guys and I'm sure everyone on this team probably wishes it was still going, but it's nice to get back into a routine and get back with our teammates here."

Luukkonen stopped Hughes’ snap shot from the right face-off circle at 1:34 of the second period.

Thompson then gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 8:10 when he scored on a snap shot from the slot after a pass from Krebs. 

"We have something really good going here and I think every point, especially at this point in the season, going forward, is crucial for us," Thompson said. "Especially against teams in the East. ... It was a big one tonight. It wasn't the prettiest game, but we found a way to get it done."

Krebs pushed it to 2-0 when he scored on a wrist shot from the left hash marks at 10:36 of the third period. Thompson stole the puck from Hughes and skated down the slot before passing to Krebs, who scored from the left circle.

"I just got a quick turnover in the neutral zone there and saw [Krebs] flying and kind of airmailed the sauce," Thompson said. "But Krebs knocks it down and makes a great skill play there, knocking it down and then going short side up over [Allen’s] shoulder. 

"A really beautiful goal, big goal, at that time of the game."

Meier cut it to 2-1 at 17:30, scoring on a rebound in the slot with Allen pulled for the extra attacker.

"I thought the start was good and we had chances that just didn't go in," Meier said. "Especially in these games, you can't fade away from defending the right way, and that's what cost us the game tonight."

The Devils missed the net on two breakaways while short-handed. Jesper Bratt put a backhand over the crossbar at 18:05 of the first, and Nico Hischier shot wide of the left post at 17:21 of the second.

NOTES: Thompson extended his point streak to five games (three goals, three assists), marking his fourth point streak of at least that length this season. Thompson has 19 points (12 goals, seven assists) in his past 16 games against New Jersey, the most goals and points by a Sabres player against the Devils over that span (dating to April 6, 2021). ... Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who played for Team Sweden at the Olympics, had a seven-game point streak end. ... With 72 points, Buffalo is on pace to finish with 101, which would be its most in a season since 2006-07 (113). … The Devils honored all seven of their 2026 Olympians prior to the game (Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler and Meier with Team Switzerland; Simon Nemec with Team Slovakia; Jacob Markstrom and Bratt with Sweden; and Hughes).