Josh Samanski scored one of the weirdest first goals in NHL history, and for the Edmonton Oilers, getting a goal like this feels like it was needed for a while.
Samanski didn’t blast the puck into the net. Instead, he let some wild action help him out.
That’s why the video made such a big splash online. It looks less like a great goal and more like a goalie’s nightmare.
However, for Edmonton, the situation feels different. This team has spent a lot of time in the 2025-26 season giving up weak goals.
Josh Samanski is 24 years old. He didn’t get picked in the 2020 draft, which means no team ever chose him. He entered Saturday with 13 NHL games under his belt and a record of 0-2-2.
His first goal counts the same as any other on the score sheet. The Oilers won’t mind how messy it seemed.
You can see the puck collapse behind the goalie and then slide over the line like everyone forgot what to do.
The bigger story for Edmonton is what’s happening in goal. Tristan Jarry has a goals-against average of 3.39 and a save percentage of . 883, while Calvin Pickard is at 3.68 and . 871.
This has to be the worst first career goal in NHL history from Samanski pic.twitter.com/x8QZEtevmW
— Top Tier Hockey (@TopTierPucks) March 22, 2026
Connor Ingram has been a bit more reliable at 2.77 with a . 892 save percentage. Even that isn’t exactly reassuring for making the playoffs.
Josh Samanski provides the Edmonton Oilers with a rare lucky break.
Fans are right to laugh at the video and feel relieved. Edmonton finally got an easy goal instead of being on the losing end.
That’s more important than many realize. Top teams often score ugly goals, and the Oilers need every lucky chance they can get.
Connor McDavid is leading the charge with 37 goals and 78 assists for a total of 115 points. Leon Draisaitl is close behind with 35 goals and 62 assists for 97 points, yet Edmonton still feels just one bad save away from falling apart.
That is what we mean by the ripple effect. The forwards try hard to be perfect because the crease hardly gives them any space to work with.
Samanski is a good fit for this situation. He is a tall player who can score near the basket, and Edmonton has been looking for more clear scoring chances from their lower lines.
So yes, the goaltending was really bad. It also shows why the Oilers can’t feel sorry for any lucky breaks they get.
If Edmonton wants to make it through the tough part of the season, they might need more unusual games like this one, where the other goalie makes a mistake first.
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