Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson recorded five goals in Wednesday's 9-5 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, including four in the first period to tie the NHL record.
The 25-year-old tallied a first-period hat trick, scoring at 5:32, 7:50, and 12:22, helping the Sabres break out to an early 5-0 advantage.
Tommer had a HATTY.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 8, 2022
IN THE FIRST PERIOD.
And that wasn't all... pic.twitter.com/20YfjV2wkA
Thompson added a powerplay goal, his fourth of the period, at 16:40 of the first, increasing the Sabres' lead to 6-0 while becoming the first player to tally four goals in a period since Patrick Marleau in 2017.
And then came Tage Thompson's FOURTH OF THE PERIOD pic.twitter.com/zUNSra2Wpi
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 8, 2022
According to the NHL PR department, Thompson is only the fourth player in NHL history to score four goals in the first period of a regular-season game, joining Peter Bondra (1994), Grant Mulvey (1982), and Joe Malone (1921).
Following Thompson's fourth goal of the game, his memorable night wasn't over. At 16:07 of the second period, Thompson blasted his fifth goal of the evening for Buffalo's seventh goal of the game.
Tage Thompson is only the second Sabres player to record five goals in a single game…
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 8, 2022
Dave Andreychuk: February 6, 1986
Tage Thompson: December 7, 2022#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/H8yESevZcH
Before Wednesday night, only Dave Andreychuk (1986) had recorded five goals in a single game in Sabres' history.
Thompson's six-point night catapulted him up the goal leaderboard from sixth to third. His 21 goals trail only Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (22) and Dallas Stars' Jason Robertson (23).
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