Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson has emerged as one of the top stars in the NHL this season, and his performance Wednesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets underscored that notion.

Thompson scored five goals in the Sabres’ 9-4 win over the Blue Jackets, including four in the first period alone. He is the second U.S.-born player to score five goals in a game. 

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Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson, right, keeps the puck away from Columbus Blue Jackets' Gavin Bayreuther during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (WHD Photo/Jay LaPrete)

He is the fourth player in NHL history to record four goals in the first period of a regular-season game, joining Peter Bondra, Grant Mulvey and Joe Malone. He is also the fourth active player to score five goals in a game, joining Timo Meier, Mika Zibanejad and Patrik Laine.

"It’s definitely a rewarding feeling," Thompson said after the game. "You’ve spent a lot of years working to get to this point and to be rewarded for it is a pretty good feeling, and it just leaves you hungrier."

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Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson, right, celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with Jeff Skinner during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.  (WHD Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Thompson’s goals in the first period were four of the six Buffalo scores in the first period.

"That was an amazing performance by Tage, and really, the whole group set the table," Buffalo coach Dan Granato said. "I thought the energy, the collective effort, the focus to start was really good and enabled that to happen."

It was Thompson’s third career hat trick and the second of the season.

Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson, right, scores a goal against Columbus Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.  (WHD Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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Buffalo is 12-13-1 this season. Columbus fell to 8-15-2.

The contributed to this report.