Tage Thompson helps Sabres defeat Devils in his Olympic return.

Tage Thompson returned from the Olympics and recorded a goal and an assist as the Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1; the win moved Buffalo to 72 points in 58 games.

Tage Thompson returned to the Buffalo Sabres after a busy week with Team USA and scored a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. He arrived at the team hotel after 2 a.m. Wednesday following visits to the White House, attendance at the State of the Union and post-gold-medal celebrations. Thompson played just over 19 minutes as the Sabres monitored his ice time. The victory gave Buffalo 72 points in 58 games as the team continues its push toward the playoffs. Game details: - Thompson finished with a goal and an assist, six shot attempts, three shots on net, four scoring chances and three high-danger chances while playing just over 19 minutes. - Jack Hughes was honored in a pre-game ceremony and had included Thompson in the celebration; later Hughes turned over a puck in the third period that led to the play where Thompson set up Peyton Krebs for the game-winning goal. - Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves on 28 shots and stopped nine of 10 high-danger chances in his first start in almost a month. - Buffalo went 0-for-3 on the power play, with three shot attempts and two shots on goal during six minutes at five-on-four. - The Sabres have a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday with road games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Summary: Thompson's goal and assist marked a productive Olympic return and helped Buffalo secure a 2-1 victory while moving up in the standings. The game featured strong goaltending, uneven special teams, and mixed results from the blue line. Buffalo now heads into consecutive road games as it continues its pursuit of a playoff spot.