MONTREAL – The most trying stretch of Jack Quinn’s career ended 63 seconds into Sunday afternoon’s 5-3 loss, when the Buffalo Sabres winger navigated to open space in the left circle, grabbed JJ Peterka’s pass and unleashed a wicked wrist shot.
Quinn needed 25 games, 44 shots on goal and was scratched six times before he beat a goalie for the first time this year.
“Just nice to see one go in, take some pressure off and just play freely,” said Quinn, who had mustered just an empty-net goal prior to scoring twice Sunday on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby.
The power-play goal in his return from a five-game absence was a harbinger, as a confident and aggressive Quinn scored again the second period. In his fourth career two-goal outing, he was often the best player on the ice while registering five shots and eight attempts, both team highs.
The reeling Sabres, who stayed off the ice Monday, sorely need Quinn to keep producing. They’ve unraveled over the last three weeks, losing 10 straight games (0-7-3) entering Tuesday’s contest against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
A team that briefly held a playoff spot began Monday’s schedule six points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot.
Don’t, however, expect any major moves to jolt the Sabres, who own an NHL-record 13-year playoff drought.
On Monday, owner Terry Pegula visited the team here and told his players he believes in them and their ability to find a solution, according to Daily Faceoff. He also expressed his confidence in general manager Kevyn Adams, coach Lindy Ruff and told the team not to expect a significant trade, Daily Faceoff reported.
If Quinn builds off Sunday’s performance and finds a groove, the Sabres will have essentially added a scoring threat mid-season.
Following a season in which he scored nine goals and 19 points in 27 games despite recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and a leg injury, the Sabres expected him to keep developing. He seemed poised to crack the 20-goal mark for the first time and perhaps enjoy a breakout season.
Instead, Quinn, the eighth overall pick in 2020, was a healthy scratch once in October before falling out of the lineup again earlier this month. He has compiled just three goals, seven points and a team-worst minus-12 rating this season.
Sunday’s early goal ended a 16-game drought. He hadn’t scored since an empty-netter Oct. 26.
Over the years, Quinn, 23, has proven he can target deficiencies in his game – former Sabres coach Don Granato compared him to a honing torpedo – and improve them.
Apparently, he used his time out of the lineup wisely. Ruff mentioned he looked quicker Sunday in his first action since Dec 3.
“He’s worked extremely hard,” he said. “We wanted him to work on some things. I think he’s really worked on them and I think it paid off.”
In Sunday’s second period, Quinn grabbed another pass from Peterka just above the right circle, skated in and beat Hildeby at 9:11 to briefly put the Sabres up 3-1.
The affable Quinn, who appeared highly frustrated last week, said he used his extra time “as a chance to kind of find my legs and get a little pop coming back.”
Ruff rewarded him with power-play time – “You see the confidence that they have in me, so (I) just want to go out there and perform,” Quinn said – and 18 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time, his highest total since opening day.
