Thompson scores hat trick, Sabres surge past Bruins

BUFFALO -- Tage Thompson had a hat trick for the Buffalo Sabres in a 6-3 win against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center on Sunday.

Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (34-36-6), who have won four in a row. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves.

“I think we knew if we just played the right way, the goals would come for us,” Thompson said. “I think we know, we’ve proven to ourselves we can score. So I think it’s just not getting bored playing the right way when you don’t see results right away. I think, yeah, I like the commitment to battling and finding a way to gut out a win tonight.”

David Pastrnak had three assists, and Joonas Korpisalo made 31 saves for the Bruins (31-38-9), who are 1-10-1 in their past 12 games.

Pastrnak has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) on a six-game point streak and has factored on 11 straight team goals, tying him with Sam Gagner (February 2012) for the longest such streak in the NHL since 2000-01.

“We just didn’t sustain any offensive zone time in the second period, probably under one minute and they had close to three,” Bruins coach Joe Sacco said. “... I give them credit because they were on top of us, but we still have to find ways to handle the pressure in better situations. … We’ve talked about this for a while now, and it's about playing behind the forecheck and establishing your own forecheck, creating some more zone time for yourself.”

Elias Lindholm gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 3:37 of the first period, taking a pass from Pastrnak and putting a backhand into the net with Luukkonen out of position.

Morgan Geekie made it 2-0 at 14:27. Buffalo forward JJ Peterka fumbled the puck and Pastrnak intercepted it, taking it to the right circle and feeding Geekie, who beat Luukkonen glove side from the right hash mark.

“Puck management cost us against the top line,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Something we talked about this morning that we didn’t execute. We handed them a couple of gifts. I think the good part of that is that we were able to correct that and simplify the game, and we got rewarded for it. I thought, after the first period, we played a great game.”

Thompson cut it to 2-1 at 7:35 of the second period when he knocked in a loose puck at the crease by Korpisalo’s glove.

“That’s definitely something I try to do is hold onto pucks and use my size and strength to create offense to find open guys or create space for myself to get a shot,” Thompson said. “… I feel like I’ve been generating quite a bit of chances recently, and sometimes when you’re playing like that you just get some confidence, and when you’re making one play, you seem to make another and kind of just build from there.”

Tuch redirected Dahlin’s shot from the left circle over Korpisalo’s left shoulder to tie it 2-2 at 10:49.

Casey Mittelstadt put the Bruins in front 3-2 on the power play with a tap-in from in front at 16:38. Pastrnak’s shot from the bottom of the right circle hit defenseman Connor Clifton’s skate and the Luukkonen’s pad to Mittelstadt.

“I feel like he does everything so well and he’s such a good playmaker and good shooter,” Mittelstadt said of Pastrnak. “So, yeah, it's been fun [playing with him], for sure.”

Dahlin tied it 3-3 at 18:31, toe-dragging in the left circle before sending a wrist shot under Korpisalo’s blocker.

Jason Zucker gave the Sabres a 4-3 lead at 1:59 of the third period when his shot from the left circle popped up off Korpisalo’s glove and landed in the net.

“The first period, we played some good hockey and then in the second, just came out flat, and they came out better,” Lindholm said. “Obviously we never recovered, really. It was just try to survive for us at that moment. Just weren't good enough in the second, it's as simple as that. And then in the third it's just soft. I mean, it's not good enough.”

Thompson scored on a breakaway to make it 5-3 at 5:51, deking Korpisalo before roofing a backhand, and completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 19:14 for the 6-3 final.

“I think first and foremost, he’s the ultimate competitor,” Tuch said. “He wants to win out there, he wants to score goals, he wants to be a difference-maker each and every night, and it’s evident. It’s really easy to follow when you’re playing with a guy like that, gives you a lot of energy. Honestly, he’s becoming a superstar and it’s awesome to see.”

NOTES: Pastrnak became the first Bruins player to have at least three points on consecutive days since Joe Thornton (Oct. 16-17, 2002). … Defenseman Henri Jokiharju, who played 351 games over five-plus seasons with the Sabres (2019-20 to 2024-25) played his first game back in Buffalo after he was traded to the Bruins on March 7. He had an assist in 20:05 of ice time. … Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs each had two assists for the Sabres. … Byram’s second assist was his 30th of the season, becoming the third Buffalo defenseman to reach the mark after Dahlin and Owen Power. It’s the first time in Sabres history the team has had three defensemen with at least 30 assists in the same season.