Sabres Take First Lead of NHL Season by Scoring the Most Improbable Goal

Karl Rasmussen | Oct 15, 2025

Sabres took an early 1–0 lead against the Senators on Wednesday night. / Screenshot via Sabres on X

The Sabres lost each of their first three games in the 2025–26 NHL season, and they've struggled to get into a rhythm offensively. Buffalo scored just two total goals in its opening three contests and hadn't held a lead for even a single second.

That changed early into Wednesday's game against the Senators. The Sabres got on the board first against Ottawa, though their go-ahead goal was anything but ordinary.

While passing the puck around in the attacking zone, Jack Quinn tried to rifle home a shot from outside the crease and ended up missing the net completely. The puck rebounded off the boards behind the net and went over the goal. It then deflected off the back of Senators goalie Leevi Meriläinen and went over the line for a goal.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED⁉️#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/6Mhhi5pZ8X

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 15, 2025

It certainly wasn't how the Sabres drew it up, but for a team that has struggled to score goals to start the year, they'll take whatever they can get.

Quinn, perhaps a bit undeservingly, opened his scoring account for the year, and Buffalo found itself with its first lead of the campaign. It wouldn't last long, however, as Ottawa answered with an equalizer before the end of the first period.

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