Observations: Tage Thompson's two-goal night not enough to stop Sabres' skid

Mittelstadt had just delivered a highlight-reel, power-play goal to tie the score with 5:51 left in the second period by driving to the net and finishing on the backhand.

The Sabres were finally in control against the top team in the NHL. Jack Eichel, their former captain, saw two of his breakaway attempts stopped by goalie Eric Comrie. Mittelstadt’s shot was the 10th in a row for Buffalo. And the rowdy 15,757 fans were loud, booing Eichel each time he touched the puck and gasping at each Sabres scoring chance.

Eichel got the last word, though.

The former face of the franchise watched from the bench as his teammate, Paul Cotter, scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway and Eichel added four points, including a hat trick, to help send the Sabres to a 7-4 loss.

"We looked like a young team tonight," lamented Sabres Don Granato. "Pretty simple. And the more experienced guys didn't lead the way they should have. They'll self-correct."

The Golden Knights (13-2) extended their win streak to nine games with 31 saves by their goalie, Logan Thompson. The Sabres (7-7) have lost four in a row after falling apart in the first half of the third period against Vegas.

Tage Thompson scored twice for a team-leading 10 goals this season, the second of which was a highlight-reel drive to the net in the third period, and Rasmus Asplund added a shorthanded goal. The deficit was still at two, though, and the Sabres couldn’t overcome their mistakes.

"We gave them everything they got, and obviously they have good players and a good team," said Mittelstadt. "You can’t give them chances like that. Yeah, I think that was the difference in the game. You have to play hard until the end. There’s a lot for us to clean up there."

The Sabres had more shot attempts (73-56) than Vegas, but their problems were "self-inflicted," Granato said. They looked energized at the start with Cozens hitting the post on a drive to the net within the first minute of the game, but the Golden Knights took control by firing three shots on goal during a delayed penalty.

With Peyton Krebs in the penalty box for hooking, Vegas took a 1-0 lead when Jonathan Marchessault’s slap shot created a rebound that Chandler Stephenson immediately turned into the opening goal only 5:44 into the game. The Golden Knights have scored first a league-best 11 times this season, allowing them to comfortably defend in coach Bruce Cassidy’s system.

Determined to take away Buffalo’s rush chances, the Golden Knights’ defensemen didn’t take any unnecessary risks. If the Sabres had the puck with speed, they were still unable to earn quality shots from the middle of the ice at 5-on-5. Momentum began to shift when Vegas captain Mark Stone was called for an interference penalty on Cozens.

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin faked out a Vegas forward to create space for the Sabres’ power play, then passed to Kyle Okposo in the right circle. With Alex Tuch screening goalie Logan Thompson, Okposo sent a no-look, cross-ice pass to the left circle where Tage Thompson one-timed the puck in to tie the score, 1-1, with 3:37 left in the first period.

Then came an ugly start to the second for Buffalo. The Golden Knights regained the lead when Phil Kessel finished a 2-on-1 pass from Nicolas Roy only 3:43 into the period. The Sabres didn’t have a shot on goal until the 8:04 mark when Asplund got one on net from the slot on a faceoff win by Mittelstadt.

"It’s growing pains and a learning curve," said Thompson. "We have to find a way to piece it together for a full 60 and that’s the good thing about this. It’s a long season, and we have a lot of guys who are hungry to learn and hungry to get better. We’re going to take this, learn from it and move on."

Gradually, the Sabres got back into the game, led by Thompson. Their surge was capped by Mittelstadt’s tying goal, but it didn’t last long. They started to commit bad turnovers, beginning with Tuch's that led to Cotter's breakaway, go-ahead goal with 2:52 left in the second period. 

The Sabres continued to force plays that weren't there, rather than sticking to the simple approach that got them back into the game. This gave the Golden Knights more time in their offensive zone, particularly their top line, led by Eichel.

Eichel assisted on Alex Pietrangelo’s goal to make it 4-2 and the target of fans’ frustration added three goals in the third period to help Vegas comfortably pull away.

The Sabres' postgame comments struck an optimistic tone given their push in the third period, the nature of their mistakes and the fact they scored four goals against the top defensive team in the league. But they're dropping in the standings and another difficult opponent awaits.

"It is giving too many freebies," Granato added. "That was the challenge, that was the issue tonight. You trade chances with the talent that they have, it works out the way that it worked out."

Here are other observations from the game:

1. Earning opportunity

The Sabres need more from Mittelstadt at 5-on-5. Only one of his nine points in 14 games have occurred at even strength. But he’s earned the patience and trust of the coaching staff through his work in the faceoff dot and his effectiveness on the power play. Mittelstadt showed poise when he collected the pass from Cozens, looked off the defender to earn a clear lane to the net and finished on the backhand with 5:51 remaining in the second period.

Mittelstadt won eight of his 15 faceoffs (62%) Thursday night, improving his season average to a team-best and career-high 52.3%.

2. Calm, collected

Okposo was the perfect fit for the Sabres’ top power-play because of he’s a threat to shoot, he can handle the pressure of a penalty kill and he’s a playmaker. The captain showed his value with a no-look, cross-ice pass to setup Thompson’s tying goal. Buffalo has scored a power-play goal in eight consecutive games, the first time it’s accomplished the feat since Dec. 19, 2008 to Jan. 6, 2009.

3. Call overturned

Gutsy call by the Sabres’ coaching staff to challenge for offside after Nicholas Hague’s shot ricocheted off Dylan Cozens’ stick and past Comrie for what would have been a 2-1 lead with 3:10 left in the first period, only 27 seconds after Thompson scored. Replay review showed that Nicolas Roy was offside on the offensive-zone entry because his skate crossed the line before he had possession of the puck.

If the challenge failed, the Sabres would be back on the penalty kill against a power play that struck first in the game.

4. Around the boards 

• Thompson provided the only silver lining of the night for Sabres fans. He showed again that he's a legit No. 1 center, rising to the occasion on a night when Eichel was at his best. Thompson had eight shots and 13 shot attempts in 19:27 of ice time. 

The Sabres had 72% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts (18-7) when Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Vinnie Hinostroza were on the ice. 

• Dahlin had another strong game with an assist, seven shots on goal, 10 shot attempts, three blocked shots and a team-high 26:43 of ice time. 

• Defenseman Kale Clague had a rough game, finishing with a minus-4 rating. He got caught too far up the ice on Kessel's goal, leading to the 2-on-1. 

5. Next

The Sabres will host the Boston Bruins on Saturday for Hockey Fights Cancer Night. Puck drop is 7 p.m., with the game broadcast locally on MSG. Buffalo is 1-13-3 in its last 17 games against Boston dating back to Dec. 29, 2018.