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Buffalo's Jack Eichel fires a power play goal in first NHL game (Video)

Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images

Jack Eichel has scored an NHL goal.

The Buffalo Sabres 2015 first-round draft pick made his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. It took him over two periods to get on the scoresheet, but when he did looked like it was quite the scene at the First Niagara Center.

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On the power play, Eichel took a puck from Marcus Foligno just below the circle and fired a shot past Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson. After the goal he celebrated with a double fist pump, and the introduction of "Let me Clear my Throat" by D.J. Kool as the team's new goal song. The goal was scored at the 9:11 mark of the third.

Said Eichel via Buffalo Hockey Beat, which also painted the raucous atmosphere:

“It’s a pretty special moment for me,” Eichel said about his first NHL goal. “I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. Today’s my dad’s birthday, I have a lot of family in town so it’s a special moment to be able to score the first one today. A win definitely would have capped the day off perfectly.”

As the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center erupted like the Sabres had just won a playoff game, the second overall pick threw his arms in the air and was mobbed by his teammates.

Here is another view of the goal with the "Let me Clear my Throat" blaring in the background.

The Sabres lost 3-1 to the Senators in Eichel's debut.

The Sabres famously tanked last season in order to put themselves in position to draft either Eichel or Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers won the 2015 draft lottery and took McDavid. The Sabres grabbed Eichel with the No. 2 overall pick.

Both players enter the NHL with massive expectations heaped on them. McDavid is making his debut Thursday as well, at the St. Louis Blues. Eichel played 21:58 and played on a line with winger Evander Kane for the game. He also went 6-for-12 on face-offs.

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According to the Buffalo News before the game:

Eichel said he expects plenty of electricity in a building that’s been mostly devoid of any juice for several years.

“I think it will be pretty wild,” he said. “I know Buffalo has been looking forward to this one and so have we. It’s going to be a great experience.”

Even Eichel's teammates felt the energy, again via Buffalo Hockey Beat:

“Some guys on the bench even looked at me and said, ‘Was it this loud before?’” Foligno said. “I said, ‘Nope, this feels like a playoff game,’ because it hasn’t been this loud in a couple years.”

Shortly after Eichel’s goal, an Evander Kane score was overturned due to an Ottawa Senators coach’s challenge on an offsides call. This made coaches 2-for-2 in the challenge so far on the season. Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock won a challenge on Wednesday. 

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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