CHICAGO (AP) — Tage Thompson scored twice to reach 40 goals on the season, and the Buffalo Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division title by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on Monday night.
Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist as Buffalo (50-23-8) posted its fourth consecutive win. Ryan McLeod and Josh Norris also scored, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 15 saves.
Buffalo earned its first division title since the 2009-10 season and seventh overall. It reached 50 wins for the third time in franchise history, also accomplishing the feat in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The Sabres were in the mix for the top spot in the Eastern Conference before Carolina secured the position by earning a point in a shootout loss at Philadelphia.
Ryan Greene scored for Chicago (28-39-14), and Spencer Knight made 21 saves. The last-place Blackhawks dropped to 7-17-7 in their last 31 games.
The game was tied at 1 before Thompson scored from the low slot 13 minutes into the second after stealing the puck from Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier.
Shortly after Buffalo killed off a 5-on-3 power play in the third, Tuch got a stretch pass from Rasmus Dahlin and finished the breakaway for a 3-1 lead. It was Tuch's third goal in four games and No. 32 on the year.
Thompson scored again at 11:13 on a one-timer off a pass from Dahlin. Thompson has three seasons with at least 40 goals, including a career-high 47 in the 2022-23 season.
Chicago jumped in front on Greene's short-handed goal 3:58 into the first. Greene also scored during Saturday's 5-3 loss to St. Louis, stopping a 12-game drought.
Norris responded with his 12th goal for Buffalo, beating Knight over the goaltender's right shoulder with 58 seconds left in the first. Norris has two goals and six assists in his last seven games.
Both teams finish the regular season at home on Wednesday night. The Sabres face the Dallas Stars, and the Blackhawks play the San Jose Sharks.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
The Best Cymbidium and Orchid Show and Sale held in the San Francisco Peninsula will be the … Read moreAnnual Cymbidium & Orchid Show and Sale hosted by the Gold Coast Cymbidium Society & Peninsula Orchid Society
What is a fantasy in music—a form, or a freedom shared between performers? Read moreViolin Fantasie: Polina Sedukh, violin, Irina Behrendt, piano
CA Is Burning said:
The ideological blind sheep are editing & endorsing. When will integrity and honesty return to newspapers, large and small?
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.