Sabres ahead Tage Thompson settled no matter lingering variations he had with Stefan Noesen by squaring off towards the New Jersey ahead on the ice on Friday.
The battle occurred 2½ minutes into Buffalo’s sport towards New Jersey and a few 9 months after Noesen leveled Thompson with an elbow to the top. It was the groups’ first assembly since Buffalo’s 4-3 win on Feb. 2.
TAGE. pic.twitter.com/ybBxHpu1eQ
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 28, 2025
Because the groups lined up Friday for a faceoff within the Buffalo zone 2½ minutes in, Thompson and Noesen dropped their gloves and exchanged quite a few punches in a battle that lasted about 30 seconds. It ended with Noesen falling to the ice and the group cheering on Thompson.
Each gamers had been issued five-minute majors for combating.
Noesen’s February hit on Thompson grew to become a sore spot for a number of causes, beginning with the way it occurred.
Thompson was lunging for the puck on the Devils’ blue line when Noesen knocked it away and continued charging into the Buffalo ahead by catching him together with his elbow. Noesen’s hit spun Thompson round, knocked off his helmet and despatched him face-first to the ice.
Noesen was ejected in being issued a match penalty however didn’t obtain additional NHL self-discipline.
Sabres gamers, in the meantime, had been second-guessed for failing to rally to their teammate’s protection. Whereas Thompson sat out one sport, his teammates held a group assembly to deal with their lack of response.
“We frolicked final yr on this matter. That matter is basically for me it is behind me,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff stated earlier than the sport, when reminded of what occurred. “I feel the best way our group has dealt with each scenario actually from that time ahead, we discovered a tough lesson.”