Welcome to Hockey's Fables, Foibles, and Facts, a regular Hockey Buzz feature that will highlight the unique, the unusual, and the unbelievable events in NHL history.
They've been playing NHL games since 1917, yet something happened on Tuesday that was a first in the history of the league. Four games saw a tying goal scored with 15 seconds or less remaining in regulation time.
Two of the goals were scored with two seconds or less left on the clock.
Anaheim 4 Pittsburgh 3
Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke scored the game-tying goal at 19:59 of the third period, a shorthanded goal. for the Ducks. In doing so, Sennecke became the NHL’s first rookie to 10 goals and 25 points this season. He also became the seventh rookie to score a game-tying goal in the final second of regulation and the first to do so while shorthanded.
pic.twitter.com/tKHUigdN1s Hard not to root for the kid when he's doing stuff like this
— Fraser's Mittens (@TheMaster_Plan_) December 10, 2025
Beckett Sennecke is looking more and more like a star every game
The others? Freddy Meyer (March 8, 2006), Pat Falloon (Feb. 28, 1992), Steve Yzerman (Dec. 18, 1983), Steve Bozek (Feb. 13, 1982), Doug Robinson (Feb. 21, 1965), and Ron Ellis (Dec. 13, 1964).
Buffalo 4 Edmonton 3
Connor McDavid scored two of the three Oilers goals in the third period, including a tying tally with two seconds remaining, as Edmonton erased a 3-0 deficit in the final 20 minutes.
However, Alex Tuch found the back of the net 33 seconds into overtime with the help of Rasmus Dahlin's third assist of the night to lift the Sabres to victory.
NY Islanders 5 Vegas 4
The Golden Knights opened up a 2-0 lead before the Islanders took 3-2 and 4-3 advantages of their own. Then the Isles withstood a tying tally from Pavel Dorofeyev with 14 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Islanders posted a shootout victory and their ninth comeback win of the season. Bo Horvat (19-12—31 in 31 GP) scored twice to give him 19 goals on the season. He's on pace for a 50-goal campaign.
Nashville 4 Colorado 3
After Brady Skjei gave the Predators a 3-2 lead in the third period, Cale Makar scored the tying tally with just eight seconds remaining in the third period. Former Avalanche center Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone shootout goal to help the Predators improve to 7-2-1 in their past 10 home games against the Avalanche.
Beckett Sennecke, Pavel Dorofeyev and Connor McDavid all scored game-tying goals within the final 15 seconds of regulation and combined for an NHL first during a 10-game Tuesday. #NHLStats: https://t.co/JRMuPyCpQj pic.twitter.com/L5k19tdVjh
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) December 10, 2025
Before this outburst, there'd never been more than two goals on one night resulting in tying goals that late in regulation time. Close contests, though, are an NHL staple this season, and they are also on a record pace.
Overall, the NHL has featured 372 of 475 games this season that have been close games, featuring a one-goal margin or two-plus with an empty-net goal. That's the most at this stage of a season in league history, ahead of 2024-25 (356).