- Jiri Kulich scored the go-ahead goal in Buffalo’s 4-3 home-opening win over Chicago
- It was his first regular-season goal since a blood clot ended his 2025-26 season
- Read below for the goal video and Kulich’s emotional postgame reaction
Jiri Kulich waited almost a full year for this one.
The Sabres forward scored the go-ahead goal with 6:40 left in the third period Saturday night, lifting Buffalo to a 4-3 comeback win over the Blackhawks in its home opener at KeyBank Center. Kulich was asked afterward what the moment meant after a season lost to a blood clot.
“That was probably the main thing I was dreaming about the whole year, you know, not playing,” Kulich said. “After that one, it was a lot of emotions. So yeah, that one is going to be special for sure.”
Catch Kulich’s full postgame availability:
The goal came at 4-on-4. Kulich had the puck roll off his stick on a drive to the net, but Tage Thompson recovered it and moved it to Owen Power. Power threaded a pass through two Chicago sticks, and Kulich snapped it short side past Spencer Knight from the left circle.
Here’s the goal video:
Kulich gave all the credit to the setup man. “I was pretty pissed after the first one, but (Thompson) did a great job,” he said. “What a pass by (Power). I just had an easy job, just closed my eyes and somehow put it in.”
His celebration told the whole story. Kulich punched the air and pounded the glass before his teammates caught up to him:
A blood clot limited the 22-year-old to 12 games last season. Dizzy spells led to the tests that found it, and he had surgery at the Mayo Clinic to remove it. His last regular-season goal before Saturday came on Oct. 24, 2025, against Toronto.
Captain Rasmus Dahlin, who tied the game 3-3 earlier in the third, talked about what his teammate went through to get back.
“It’s unbelievable,” Dahlin said. “It’s hard to put into words how much he’s been grinding and how much he’s really been around and wanting this. I’m super happy for him just being able to play hockey again.”
Lindy Ruff showed plenty of trust, too. Kulich started the night on the fourth line, moved up to play with Peyton Krebs and Konsta Helenius, and was on the ice for the final minute with Chicago’s net empty. His older brother, Jaroslav, watched from the stands.
As a rookie two seasons ago, Kulich scored 15 goals. After the year he just had, Saturday’s winner might mean more than all 15 of them.
