Buffalo Sabres: Three Stars of December

To say that the Sabres had a bad December is an understatement. The team went 3-9-2 amid a 13-game losing streak, only winning their first game of the month before their Christmas break on the 23rd. Though things seemed gloomy, they finished strong, winning three of the final four games in the month. The three stars of December will be among the best players from the underwhelming month.

Third Star: Jack Quinn

Jack Quinn has made an amazing comeback after struggling immensely in the first two months. Through the first 24 games, Quinn scored his only goal on an empty net to go along with just four assists, which led to him being a healthy scratch for five consecutive games. In his seven games back from being scratched, he’s scored four times on a 30.8 shooting percentage and garnered four assists as well. No one has turned their season around quite as much as Quinn, which is why he gets the third star over players like Dylan Cozens or JJ Peterka, who had more points in December but not as many points per game.

Second Star: Jason Zucker

Surprisingly, Jason Zucker is making his first appearance in this monthly series despite being one of the most consistent forwards on the team. He stepped up his game to another level in December, netting six goals to go along with his 12 points for the month. The 32-year-old winger notched a game-winning power-play goal against the Blues, striking a quick pass from Quinn right past Jordan Binnington for the lead. That was Zucker’s team-leading fifth power-play goal and second point of the game, which contributed to Zucker’s five points in as many games. 

First Star: Tage Thompson

For the second time in three months, Tage Thompson earned the first star for a month. The Sabres’ leader in points was fully healthy after missing five games in November. Thompson was one of the few bright spots during that excruciating losing streak, leading the team with seven goals in December while also tying Zucker for most points in the month. He started off the month hot by scoring twice against the Avalanche in their heartbreaking loss after leading 4-1 after two periods. He kept this streak going by scoring three more times with two assists in the next six games, including the heat-seeking missile known as his one-timer, scoring a goal against the Rangers that reached 98.6 miles per hour. He went without a point in the final three games of the losing streak but has quickly recovered by way of his five points in his last four games; he’ll be looking to add to his four-game point streak against the Avalanche, who the Sabres play at 9 p.m. EST on Thursday.