Coming into this game, the Buffalo Sabers had a little momentum on their side. They had won their last two matches, including a decisive one 4-2 victory against the Dallas Stars. This game against the Detroit Red Wings was crucial not only in the current standings, but also in terms of momentum for the future.

The Sabers responded wonderfully, representing the best jersey in the game right now. Despite allowing three goals, they controlled a large part of the match and came away with a 5-3 victory against the Red Wings. There are a few key points to cover, so let’s get straight to the point.

Tage Thompson is back

Tage Thompson didn’t really look like him last season, but no one really looked like him. So far this season, Thompson is looking more and more like the guy who scored 47 goals and 94 points two seasons ago.

Thompson scored for the third straight game and the fourth time in his last five. His first was a fantastic passing display reminiscent of the 2022-23 Sabres. It was a thing of beauty and rightly brought fans to their feet.

Thompson now has seven goals and 11 points in nine games. He was a key factor in a very good offense and he seems to be gaining momentum. He has dazzling hands and regularly pulls off moves that only a handful of guys can pull off.

The power game! It lives!

So this East possible to score on a numerical advantage! On the first opportunity they were given that day, the Sabers managed to score a power play goal for the first time this season. The offense was just too good to stay around for long, especially considering the number of talented players on the unit.

Related: The Sabers have a quality offense despite critical flaws

The Sabers had a sort of start up and down this season (it’s the opposite, actually), but the power play has always been horrible. It was nice to see them come into the picture with the man advantage, hopefully starting something a little more consistent going forward.

In the game, as a whole, the power play felt better executed than it has thus far. They generated more chances, struggled less to get entries into the zone and simply looked more competent than so far this season.

The Sabers are still horrible on faceoffs

It can’t all be rosy, so let’s focus on one aspect of the game that didn’t go well for the Sabres, namely the faceoff circle. For ages, the Sabers have struggled to consistently win games. put into play, especially in big moments. This is a problem that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

Once again, the Sabers lost the battle in the faceoff circle, winning just 32.9% of draws. The ability to win faceoffs may be a little overrated, but there will be critical moments in games where a faceoff will make the difference. The Sabres’ inability to win these ties could backfire on them.

Cautious optimism in Buffalo

That makes three wins in a row for the Sabres. It also means points in five of their last six games, which is critical at this stage. The Atlantic Division looks manageable this season and it will be huge for the Sabres.

That said, it is important to maintain some cautious optimism. The Sabers had a long winning streak a few seasons ago before the bottom fell out. This time, the team looks better from top to bottom, but they still have a critical stretch ahead in the schedule.

The next six games will be a clear indicator of what this season has to offer. They face the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers and Calgary Flames during this period. Getting at least one point from four of them would bode well for the rest of the season.