Just when it seemed like the Buffalo Sabres’ season couldn’t get any stranger, last night took things to a new level. Facing off against the Utah Hockey Club and aiming for a third straight road win, the Sabres instead endured a night to forget.
Trailing 3-2 late in the game, Buffalo pulled their goalie in hopes of tying it up. However, disaster struck when Tage Thompson accidentally sent the puck the length of the ice—right into his own empty net.
And it didn’t stop there. Just 20 seconds later, after trying to re-enter the offensive zone, Utah cleared the puck wide of the empty net, only for Rasmus Dahlin to deflect it directly into his own goal, marking the Sabres’ second own goal of the night.
It raises the question: when was the last time something like this happened to Buffalo—or to any NHL team? Turns out, it’s rare. The last recorded instance was six years ago, when the New Jersey Devils scored three own goals in a game against the Anaheim Ducks, the only other documented case in NHL history.
While teams have been known to score multiple own goals across a full season, doing it twice in a single game is nearly unheard of. The 2024-2025 Sabres now find themselves part of that unfortunate list.
The Sabres need these next 15 games to go by fast
The 2024-2025 season has been nothing short of painful for the Sabres and their fans. With the team likely headed for a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the final 15 games can’t come soon enough.
Buffalo will have plenty to figure out this offseason, as ownership and management face tough questions about how to get this franchise back on track. Despite a roster that didn’t look terrible on paper, the Sabres have somehow found themselves near the league’s basement once again.
As Buffalo continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, it feels like just another chapter in the ongoing saga of frustration since Terry Pegula took over ownership. Until meaningful change occurs, nights like these may remain the norm—and the Sabres will sadly continue to be viewed as one of the NHL’s biggest punchlines.