NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (Photo by Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

3 Takeaways From the Sabres’ 6-3 Win Over the Bruins

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 9:55 AM ET

There was once a time when the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins would be vying for the top of the division. But here we are and both teams are at low points, fighting one another off in an effort to get out of the Eastern Conference basement. Even with the Sabres coming off their sixth win in seven games after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres sit fourth from the bottom.

The Bruins, meanwhile, have been in a freefall, winning just once in their previous 10 games. The Sabres remained hot, winning their seventh in eight games and pushing their rivals further down the conference ladder. Here are the most important takeaways from the Sabres’ 6-3 win over the Bruins.

TNT Stays Hot

There have been few consistencies in the Sabres’ lineup this season, but Tage Thompson has been one of them. He registered his 40^th goal of the season in the win against the Lightning, the second time he has done so in his relatively short career.

Against the Bruins, Thompson went off yet again. He tallied a hat trick, including a nasty backhand breakaway goal. Thompson’s offensive game has largely recovered from the major downturn experienced last season, making his contract once again one of the biggest values in the league.

Despite being in the basement all season, the Sabres were finally eliminated from the playoffs with a handful of games left. For whatever it’s worth, Thompson has been a key component in the Sabres’ recent winning streak and will be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

Luukkonen Gets Back on Track

While Thompson has been outstanding of late, it’s hard to ignore the struggles of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He has been largely displaced by veteran James Reimer, who has won his last six starts. Reimer is among a few players that likely won’t be around in the offseason, so it’s important for Luukkonen to find his game again.

It wasn’t all positive for Luukkonen – the first two goals by Boston probably could have been played better – but it’s an improvement over his recent starts. He got back on the winning track after losing his last two, including an ugly seven-goal performance against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Luukkonen’s struggles are kind of the epitome of the Sabres franchise as a whole. Last season, he was outstanding, and the offense fell apart. This season, the offense is back on track (mostly), but Luukkonen hasn’t been able to find himself. Here’s to 2025-26 being the season everyone is finally on the same page.

Team Defense Still Needs Work

While the first two goals weren’t exactly sterling for Luukkonen, team defense definitely let him down. Prior to the second goal, a bad change led to a near-breakaway that Luukkonen turned aside. Team defense has been a problem spot for years.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Part of it is the system, and maybe it’s just going to take a full year and some tweaking for players to get to a place where they need to be. But there are some players that just struggle defensively, and anyone watching the Sabres knows who they are.

If Luukkonen and the goaltending is going to improve, it has to start with team defense. This doesn’t have to be the 1998-99 Sabres that relied on an otherworldly goaltender and strong defense, but things need to get better or the playoffs will be nothing but a fever dream.

Red Hot Sabres

The Sabres remain as hot as can be. They’ve won four in a row and seven of their last eight games with the lone blemish being a shelling at the hands of the aforementioned Flyers. Even with how well the Sabres are playing, climbing in the standings seems unreasonable.

Finishing out the last six games with a winning record will be a challenge – they have the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Lightning again – but the Sabres are playing well enough to make it happen. That would be the best possible way to close the season.