Mustache of God

Now that's how you pass the puck!

Tage should just rip slappers regardless of if a defender is in the way. After you take a few 100mph pucks you won't be stepping in his way much longer.

Does the inclusion of Benson all but confirm he's a lock to make the team?

Benson has at least earned a shot to experience real NHL action (not preseason hockey). I'd say let him get a taste of the pro life, have him travel with the team for the first away game and access his play after the first few games. I've got to imagine he's been putting in 100% effort so far and that is not sustainable over the course of the season, against full NHL squads. Let him figure out what he needs to work on, and get more reps in practicing with the team before sending him back to WHL. Considering the head coach situation there I'd lean keeping both Savoie and Benson around this team as long as they can without burning a year off their ELC.

Was Clifton told not to hit anybody tonight? I only half watched , didn't seem like there was a lot to like outside of Benson. VO hit a post on the pp but was otherwise useless. I don't understand where Rousek fits on this team. UPL didn't have much help on some of those goals but he should have gotten the 4th. BIro had a mini breakaway but other than that I didn't notice him at all. The power play was God awful but that's not what any of our units will look like in the regular season so I'm not concerned there. Its also the preseason and it's best not to read into it too much. Can't wait for the actual season to start.

Evander Kane wants a word.

I think I'm sold on Benson making the team.

That was a rough first 15 minutes of that period. Let's bring that final five energy into the third and win this 5-3

BENSON WITH THE REDEMPTION!

Bad penalty to take by Benson on the power play.

Click the "live" button to catch up.

That's why you go out and get yourself a second, back-up Johnson. I imagine EJ is filling the veteran gap left by Anderson and, while I expect him to play far more often than Anderson, I don't think expecting him to play a full season is a given.

He's 35 and is starting his 16th season in the NHL, he doesn't need to be playing any preseason games.

Rouske-Krebs-Benson should be a pesky line to play against. That also gives us a preview of lines 2 & 3 and most importantly, a good idea of what our starting defense will look like. I'd much rather see Rosen or Kulich in there for VO, oh well.

This will be a big night for Benson to prove that he can play without the teams two highest scorers.

Hey, look, Connor Clifton and EJo

I'll be so disappointed if they keep three goalies. That 3rd goalie slot takes away a spot from an up and comer, and that value of developing your young prospect is much more valuable than having two mediocre back-ups. Off the top of your head, can anyone else point to other teams in recent history that have used 3 roster spots on goalies? I'm drawing a blank but I don't follow the rest of the league anywhere near as close as I do the Sabres.

Putting Benson on our top line would be a mistake. This line is going to be drawing the opposing teams top line and there's no way Benson will be ready for that on a nightly basis. It'd also be a mistake to take Tuch off that line, classic case of "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

I really hope they don't keep 3 goalies, doing so takes away a spot for a Benson or a Biro or another youngster who would benefit from the experience of being on an NHL squad, opposed to keeping 3 goalies which I can only imagine is to protect their egos?

After tonight the Sabres will have 3 preseason games remaining. This saturday, next Wednesday and next Friday. If all goes well it'd be nice to see him get the last two games in.

Yikes. Wish I didn't bet my buddy from Pittsburgh $10 on this game before I saw the lineups.

How many of those defensemen played for the sabres last year? 4?

Who wears the C today, Krebs?

So this shows me they're 19th and 21st in weight and then height, relatively not a big team. As others mentioned they don't play a physical game and Adams has even said he was tired of them getting pushed around and that's why he got Greenway. Being out muscled is also a symptom of having such a young team, they're not fully developed yet and I believe the grit will come. Look at Dahlin, for example, his first few years teams were clearly targeting him, in the past two seasons he's really development a mean streak and more players are going to follow suit.

These numbers are meaningless of we don't have comparables for other teams.