Tage Thompsons hat trick lifts Sabres to another emotional win: Were in this together

When Kevyn Adams woke up Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C., the Sabres’ game against the Capitals that night didn’t feel important. The night before, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had collapsed on the field and gone into cardiac arrest after a collision with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Bills players were distraught watching emergency medical personnel perform CPR before transporting Hamlin to UC Medical Center by ambulance.
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“It wasn’t feeling right this morning,” Adams said. “It didn’t feel like a normal game day.”
The scene Monday night was a traumatic one. The game was paused and never resumed. The Bills flew back to Buffalo and didn’t land until just before 3 a.m. Tuesday. The team and community spent the day thinking about Hamlin, who was still in critical condition as of Tuesday night.
So as Adams met with Sabres coach Don Granato and captain Kyle Okposo on Tuesday, he wanted to get a feel for how players were feeling. The Sabres and Bills are both owned by Terry and Kim Pegula. The two organizations share close ties. Adams has developed a friendship with Bills general manager Brandon Beane. Granato has done the same with Sean McDermott.
“There’s really great chemistry between all of us and we’re pulling for each other,” Adams said. “That’s why it was such a tough day for us. We’re in this together.”
That made it even more important for Adams to check on players. He reiterated to players how proud he was of them and that they are a big part of the Buffalo community. The Sabres conducted their pregame skate Tuesday morning, but Granato and the players didn’t speak to the media. Adams addressed reporters after the game and spoke for the organization. But players also showed their support for Hamlin and the Bills by wearing T-shirts that read “Love for 3” as they entered the arena. Hamlin wears No. 3 for the Bills.
Love and prayers for 3. We are with you, Damar. 💙@HamlinIsland | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/TJqlh3ezyg
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 3, 2023
“What happened last night is something that makes the game itself and any sport secondary,” Adams said. “It was a tough day for all of us as a community. We care about each other in Buffalo. And as organizations, we care about each other. I know our players felt that this morning. We’re all just thinking about Damar.”
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The Capitals recognized Hamlin with a moment of reflection before the game and put an image of Hamlin on the video boards. Just last week, the Sabres played in a game after a moment of silence to recognize more than 40 people who died in the winter storm that ripped through Buffalo over Christmas weekend. As it did then, the hockey world kept spinning for a few hours Tuesday.
And just like they did last week, the Sabres found a way to channel all of that emotion into something positive. They needed overtime but managed to beat the Capitals 5-4. They did so thanks to a three-goal performance from Tage Thompson. Thompson’s third goal was an overtime winner. It was his 30th goal of the season, three minutes into overtime for his third hat trick of the season. And it all came on Jan. 3. That was a fitting performance as Buffalo’s thoughts were with the Bills’ No. 3.
“What comes through from our players is how much they care about the people in Buffalo,” Adams said. “They also feel that there’s a lot of people that are thinking about a lot more important things than a hockey game. But let’s try to go out there and do our best. That was the thought as we went into the game.”
The Sabres accomplished that and now can return home. They have the day off from practice Wednesday and are scheduled to practice Thursday and Friday ahead of their home game against the Wild on Saturday. They’ve won seven of their last eight games and have points in eight of their last 10 games. Their record is 19-15-2, and their 40 points put them four points out of playoff position. But none of that felt particularly important to them as they wrapped up their three-game road trip.
“They’re a mature group even though we’re extremely young,” Adams said. “I will say we have great leadership in the room. There’s an emotional connection to the city from our team. It was tough to be honest, this morning, the conversations. But they also know how much our team means to the city and just wanted to be able to go out and do what we could today to put our best foot forward.”
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
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