Sabres Sweep California Trip

The Buffalo Sabres posted three consecutive game wins in California. Victories at San Jose, Anaheim, and Los Angeles bolstered Buffalo’s record to a mark of 7-4-3. The club is being fueled by red-hot performances from center Tage Thompson and winger Jack Quinn.

Thompson netted a natural hat trick and a five-point night against the Ducks on Thursday and followed that outing with a two-goal day in LA on Saturday. The star scorer upped his team-leading mark to ten goals on the season.

The 29-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native is focused on doing the right things, and the results have been there; the pucks are going into the net.

“It’s definitely streaky”, said Thompson. “I think you want to try to stay as consistent as you can. But most of the time I feel you try not to focus on the results, just the process.“

“If you’re getting scoring chances, if you’re generating offense, then it means you’re doing the right things. I felt like I’ve been pretty good all year just generating and getting looks. Some nights they don’t go in for you, and some nights they do. Just trying to stay even keel and not waver mentally and stick with the process. Keep finding looks, and they’ll go in. “

The Sabres power play had been very anemic in the early going, but the man advantage has suddenly found its footing away from home. Buffalo scored four goals with the extra man in the three-game set, and the team’s top forwards are delivering. With the departure of scorer Alex Tuch in the off-season, the biggest question mark for the 2025-26 edition of the Sabres surrounded the offense.

Through the first month of the season, the 25-year-old Quinn has emerged to fill the net in the absence of Tuch’s scoring contribution. Quinn, who continues his breakout campaign, had a goal in the game against the Kings on Saturday and now has eight tallies on the season.

The talented right winger knows that the key is going to the areas where goals are scored.

“I try to shoot more,” said Quinn. “But also try to get to the dangerous ice. So, not gonna score a lot from the outside, so try to make a move to try to get to good ice. There’s a lot better chance from there.”

After a slow start, the Sabres are beginning to build confidence. Heading out west, the team was clearly still trying to find its game. Now, riding a three-game winning streak, the Sabres are beginning to resemble the team that was the surprise of the league last season.