Sabres Score Embarrassing Own Goal in Painful Loss to Utah Hockey Club

The Buffalo Sabres hit a new low in an already challenging season, suffering a humiliating 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday night at the Delta Center.

Trailing 3-2 with just over a minute left in the game, the Sabres tried to make a final push. Head coach Lindy Ruff pulled goaltender James Reimer for an extra skater, giving the team a six-on-five advantage. But instead of a heroic comeback, fans witnessed an unthinkable blunder that will haunt highlight reels for seasons to come.

Sabres forward Tage Thompson attempted a pass back to defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Unfortunately, his pass missed the mark, ricocheted off the boards, and slid straight into their own empty net. Yes, you read that right—an own goal with no goalie to block it. The crowd groaned as the scoreboard flipped to 4-2. Not satisfied with just one gut-punch, Utah forward Mikhail Sergachev took advantage of the empty net once more, sealing the game at 5-2.

Earlier in the final period, Buffalo showed a glimmer of hope. Ryan McLeod capitalized on a Utah turnover, tying the game at 2 with a slick short-handed backhand goal. But the celebration was short-lived. Utah's Dylan Guenther scored his 25th goal of the season, pouncing on a rebound with 5:47 remaining to regain the lead for Utah. From there, the Sabres unraveled.

For the Sabres, currently languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, this loss serves as another reminder that their season is more about draft position than playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club remains in the thick of the Western Conference Wild Card race, with 73 points. They trail the St. Louis Blues (77 points) and are also competing with the Vancouver Canucks (76 points) and Calgary Flames (75 points) for a coveted playoff spot.

Looking ahead, Utah will try to ride this momentum into their matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday at 9 p.m. ET. The Sabres, licking their wounds from this debacle, will attempt to rebound against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET.