VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Interstat) — Tage Thompson scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night at Rogers Arena. Thompson’s wrist shot at 18:12 of the second period broke a 2-2 tie. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist, and Zach Benson also scored for Buffalo. Alex Lyon made 30 saves for the Sabres, who have won two straight. Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko stopped 12 of 15 shots before being replaced in the third period. An announced crowd of 18,606 watched Vancouver drop its second consecutive game. The Sabres improved to 13-18. The Canucks fell to 11-20.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Interstat) — Tage Thompson continued his dominant stretch with a goal and an assist, and the Buffalo Sabres held off a relentless Vancouver Canucks attack to secure a 3-2 victory at Rogers Arena on Thursday night. The Sabres, who led wire-to-wire after an early first-period goal, leaned on a 30-save performance from goaltender Alex Lyon to withstand a 32-15 shot disadvantage and snap a two-game skid. The win improved Buffalo’s record to 13-18, while Vancouver fell to 11-20 in front of an announced crowd of 18,606. Thompson, named the game’s top star, factored on two of Buffalo’s three goals, extending his point streak to three games. The 6-foot-6 center from Phoenix has four goals and three assists in that span, providing crucial offensive punch for a Sabres team navigating a difficult season. “He’s our engine,” Sabres coach Seth Granato said of Thompson. “When he’s driving play like he did tonight, using his size and that shot, it opens up everything for us.” Buffalo struck first at 7:36 of the opening period. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, joining the rush, took a pass from Ryan McLeod and unleashed a slap shot from the high slot that beat Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko cleanly. Jack Quinn collected the secondary assist. The Canucks responded late in the period, capitalizing on a chaotic sequence in front of Lyon. After a flurry of blocked shots, Kiefer Sherwood found a loose puck and slid a backhand into the net with just 11 seconds remaining. Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes were credited with assists, tying the game 1-1. The second period featured a flurry of offense. Vancouver took control early, tying the game on a sharp wrist shot from Max Sasson at 12:15. The center from Birmingham, Michigan, took a feed from Jake DeBrusk and snapped it past Lyon’s glove, with Elias Pettersson earning the secondary helper. Buffalo reclaimed the lead just six minutes later. Following a Vancouver turnover in the neutral zone, Dahlin sprung Thompson on a partial breakaway. The Sabres’ star made no mistake, firing a wrist shot past Demko at 18:12 to make it 2-1. The Sabres added a critical insurance goal on the power play before the period ended. With Vancouver’s Filip Hronek in the box for roughing, Thompson set up rookie Zach Benson for a one-timer in the slot. The 18-year-old winger from nearby Chilliwack, British Columbia, buried his first goal of the season at 28:46, sending a surge through the contingent of friends and family in attendance. Josh Doan had the secondary assist. The third period was a goaltending clinic from Lyon. The Sabres were outshot 14-4 in the final frame and spent long stretches in their own zone, but Lyon was impeccable. His best save came midway through the period, robbing Nils Hoglander on a redirection that hit the post before Lyon smothered the rebound. He later stoned Conor Garland on a breakaway and turned aside multiple point-blank chances from DeBrusk and Sasson during a late Canucks power play. “He was our best player tonight, no question,” Dahlin said of Lyon. “They threw everything at him, especially in the third, and he was a wall. We needed that.” Demko, meanwhile, faced only 15 shots, stopping 12. The lack of offensive support continued a troubling trend for the Canucks, who have lost eight of their last ten games. The game was a physical affair, with the teams combining for nine penalties. Buffalo’s Quinn and Vancouver’s Arshdeep Bains, Tom Willander, Hronek, and Drew O’Connor all spent time in the box, along with the Sabres’ Benson, Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn. The final score matched the projection from National Statistical’s game simulator, though the total of five goals fell under the sportsbook over/under line of 6.5. Despite the loss, Vancouver had been given a slight 51.4 percent probability to win by the same service’s ELO rating system. Buffalo continues its Western Canada road trip in Seattle on Sunday. Vancouver embarks on a five-game East Coast road trip, beginning in New Jersey on Sunday. The teams will meet again in Buffalo on Jan. 6.

Struggling Sabres, Canucks Seek Momentum in Vancouver Clash VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Interstat) — Two teams mired at the bottom of the NHL standings will look to halt losing skids when the Buffalo Sabres visit the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night at Rogers Arena. Both clubs enter with identical 11-win records, though the Sabres (11-18-0) sit slightly above the Canucks (11-19-0) in the overall league table. Each is coming off a shutout loss in its most recent outing, setting the stage for a desperate matchup between conference foes. Buffalo arrives after a 4-7 road defeat to the Calgary Flames on Monday, its third straight loss. Center Peyton Krebs, a player to watch for the Sabres, recorded an assist in that contest. Krebs has five points (all assists) in his last 10 games, showing sporadic offensive flashes for a team that has been outscored 17-7 during its current three-game slide. Vancouver is reeling from a 4-0 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, which snapped a brief two-game winning streak. The Canucks’ offense has been inconsistent, blanked twice in their last five contests. A key figure for Vancouver is center Aatu Raty, who is amid a productive stretch. Raty logged a three-point night (two goals, one assist) in a 4-2 win over Minnesota on Dec. 6, highlighting his potential to drive the attack. His performance will be critical for a Canucks team that has mustered just five goals in its last four games. The Sabres’ road trip continues amid a challenging stretch, having lost seven of their last 10. Vancouver has fared only marginally better at 3-6-1 over its last 10, with all three wins coming at home. This game opens a four-game Eastern road swing for the Canucks on Sunday. Buffalo continues its Western Conference trek in Seattle on Sunday. The teams will meet again in Buffalo on Jan. 6. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.