BUFFALO – Sabres winger Jack Quinn can be, shall we say, a bit streaky. Long goal droughts often follow productive stretches.
In October, Quinn, 24, scored three times in four outings before enduring a 13-game goalless stretch.
He briefly caught fire in late November, scoring in three straight contests. But two nine- game droughts followed, and before his slick two-goal performance in Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks, he hadn’t scored since Dec. 18.
The Sabres have won 13 times in a 14-game stretch for first time in franchise history with minimal production from Quinn. Still, with goals at such a premium, his contributions can be critical.
“He can make a big difference, for sure,” coach Lindy Ruff, whose Sabres host the Florida Panthers tonight, said following the win in KeyBank Center. “You look at quality opportunities and putting teams away, he’s had a lot of those opportunities to help get us that extra goal.”
Quinn did that late in the third period against the Ducks. When he scores, he often reminds the hockey world of how much talent he possesses.
In putting the Sabres up 4-1, Quinn showcased some his best, suddenly stopping above the right circle before moving up and quickly unleashing a wicked wrist shot.
“It was kind of a weird play,” Quinn said of his goal 16:00 into the period. “I feel like all the backcheckers kind of flew by, so I stopped up and just tried to get it on net.”
That goal became the winner following the Ducks’ late rally.
Jack Quinn 🎯 4-1 #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/ySRTrjJz5h
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) January 11, 2026
Quinn, who pumped a team-high four shots on goal, also opened the scoring 2:03 into the game, converting a nifty feed from center Ryan McLeod on a two-on-one.
Ruff has expressed confidence in Quinn throughout the season, often saying he will start scoring because he’s creating opportunities.
Quinn’s expected goals of 9.2 percent ranks fifth on the Sabres, according to MoneyPuck.com, a number that trails only Tage Thompson, Josh Doan, Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker. Quinn’s nine goals in 43 games this season are the team’s fourth-highest total.
“Like I said, they’ll go in,” Ruff said. “Sometimes goal scorers go through a little stretch like that, but … he’s skating well, he’s in on a good number of chances, so that’s big for us.”
Quinn said Ruff’s belief in him “goes a long way.”
“You don’t feel the pressure as much,” he said. “He believes in me, so it’s nice to be able to just go out there and play my game.”
That game has shown signs of growth this season. A year after registering a ghastly, team-worst minus-18 rating, he’s just a minus-2.
One scout who has watched Quinn this season said defensive improvement will buoy his development.
“(His) best attribute is his shot that has an elite release (with) velocity and accuracy,” the scout said. “He is a streaky scorer who needs to be a better player defensively to take his game to the next level, as a commitment to good defense leads to offense. Consistency in his overall game is still something he needs to focus on.”