Vegas' Mitch Marner thrives while Buffalo's Tage Thompson struggles in the 2nd round

TL;DR

Mitch Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights leads all playoff scorers with 13 points, while Buffalo's Tage Thompson struggles, contributing to the Sabres' loss to the Canadiens. The series is tied 1-1 as both teams prepare for their next games.

Key points

Mitch Marner leads all playoff scorers with 13 points
Tage Thompson's struggles contribute to Sabres' loss
Series between Sabres and Canadiens is tied 1-1
Next game for Sabres is Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT
Vegas Golden Knights lead their series 2-1 against Anaheim

Mentioned in this story

John TortorellaLindy Ruff

Vegas Golden KnightsBuffalo SabresMontreal CanadiensAnaheim Ducks

Watching Mitch Marner from afar coaching other teams, John Tortorella saw a difference-making hockey player and heard all the criticism about a lack of playoff success and production. Now together with the Vegas Golden Knights, Tortorella does not see that weighing Marner down. “I don’t think it bothers him a lick,” Tortorella said. “He just plays.” After earning a reputation for shrinking this time of year over a nearly decade-long stint with Toronto that never included a run past the second round, Marner leads all scorers in the playoffs with 13 points and is tied for the most goals with six after his hat trick Friday night gave Vegas a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against Anaheim. Over in the Eastern Conference, Buffalo's Tage Thompson struggling contributed to the Sabres losing to the Canadiens and evening up that matchup at one game apiece with play shifting to Montreal on Sunday. Making his NHL postseason debut, Thompson said it's not anyone's business if he's injured and took responsibility for a bafflingly rough performance. “Trying to chase the game, try and force plays that aren’t there and just wasn’t executing,” Thompson said. “Everything I touched turned into disaster tonight, so tough one. Got to be better.” Thompson was a point-a-game performer through the first seven games of the playoffs, and coach Lindy Ruff chalked up Game 2 to frustration. Ruff expects a lot of his players to be better, including Thompson. It's hard to be better than Marner was with four points in 23 minutes of ice time against the in Game 3. Linemate is getting a front-row seat to it — and hearing plenty of yelling when Marner wants the puck. “He’s very vocal out there, so he makes it easy for you,” Karlsson said. “I always know where he is. That’s a great part of his game. But also, he sees passes kind of that aren’t there — but for him they are, and he makes it work.”

Q&A

How many points does Mitch Marner have in the playoffs?

Mitch Marner has 13 points in the playoffs, leading all scorers.

What is the current series status between Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens?

The series between the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens is currently tied 1-1.

Why is Tage Thompson struggling in the playoffs?

Tage Thompson is struggling due to frustration and a rough performance, admitting he wasn't executing well.

When is the next game for the Buffalo Sabres against the Montreal Canadiens?

The next game for the Buffalo Sabres against the Montreal Canadiens is on Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT.

Vegas' Mitch Marner thrives while Buffalo's Tage Thompson struggles in the 2nd round

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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