The Buffalo Sabres secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory against the New Jersey Devils, marking their third consecutive win. However, the spotlight after the game was on a controversial hit by Stefan Noesen that sidelined Sabres’ star forward Tage Thompson, who recently earned NHL's Second Star of the Week honors. The hit occurred when Thompson lunged for the puck, leading to a five-minute match penalty for Noesen. Despite the severity of the incident, the NHL opted not to pursue any additional disciplinary actions, prompting criticism regarding the Sabres' lack of retaliatory actions following the injury of their leading scorer.

Coach Lindy Ruff highlighted a missed opportunity for the Sabres to respond to the hit on Thompson, especially in a game where their playoff hopes seemed dim, trailing 11 points from the last wild-card spot. It raised concerns about team dynamics and the need to protect their star players. While Thompson was medically cleared, his availability for the next game against Columbus remains uncertain, as the Sabres opted not to hold practice the following day.