Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson tied the NHL record for goals scored in a single period on Wednesday night, as he put four past the Columbus Blue Jackets in the very first period.
Thompson has been on fire for the Sabres this season, scoring 21 goals in just 26 games. His tally got a nice bump against the Blue Jackets, as he scored five times in a stunning 9-4 win.
The 25-year-old tied the record for goals scored in a single period, and became only the fourth NHL star to achieve that in the first period of the game. He had been on the ice for less than six minutes but scored four goals, grabbed an assist, and even managed an extra three shots on goal.
Thompson has been a breath of fresh air for the Sabres, a side that have not been having a good time over the past few seasons. After losing Jack Eichel, they needed a new star and picked up Thompson as a restricted free agent from St Louis Blues.
The young centre was initially drafted in 2016 but found it tough during his formative years until enjoying a breakthrough season in 2021-22. Thompson has since stepped it up again, and is closing in on his 38 goal tally from last season despite the majority of the campaign still to play.
Thompson had scored four goals and registered an assist in just 5:14 of ice time in the first period, and added another goal for good measure in the second. The 25-year-old wrote his name into NHL history, joining an elite list.
Players such as Wayne Gretzky, Bryan Trottier and, most recently, Patrick Marleau have hit four in one period. But no one in Sabres history has ever scored five points in a single period, meaning that Thompson tied a league record while setting a franchise first.
His fifth goal also tied a franchise record for most goals in a game, an accomplishment that was first set by Dave Andreychuk in 1986. Thompson initially signed a three-year, $4.2 million (£3.4m) deal with the Sabres in 2020, but penned a seven-year extension in September.
The Sabres will be glad they've tied him down, as he's turned into one of the most talked about talents in the league. Thompson is clearly grateful that the Sabres gave him a chance, and upon signing his extension he claimed that it's where he wants to be for a 'long time'.
"This is a place I want to be at for a very long time," Thompson admitted. "I want to be a guy that helps this team win and make the play-offs and win a Stanley Cup, and obviously those are all just words and you’ve got to put that into action."
The Sabres are 12-13-1 for the season, but are stuck at the wrong end of the Atlantic Division which is currently being dominated by the Boston Bruins. But the middle section is tightly compacted, and they're on a win streak of two.
