SabresBaltimore

Sadly you're probably right. Maybe in the final game the drop the 4th line down to Rochester and do the Skinner-TNT-Benson line instead

I've always enjoyed Redzone when I'm not watching the Bills (or back when the Bills were terrible and I was mostly just watching football for my fantasy team). This sounds cool: But with 82 games in a season, I don't really expect I'd watch this much. It already takes up a lot of time to watch just the Sabres. Not sure if this is just a one-off on opening night. Maybe its a kind of test run.

Yeah in addition to finally seeing both of our new defensive FA signings play a game, I'm curious what the lines will be. Benson has been playing with Skinner and Tage. Neither are active tonight. Does he get put on another line, or is he on the roster only to watch from the press box? One has to assume tonight UPL plays the whole game (that may have been announced already but I forget already). Here's my swag at lines/defensive pairs: Greenway-Mittelstadt-Tuch Peterka-Cozens-Benson/Olofsson Girgensons-Krebs-Okposo Rousek-Jost-Biro Dahlin-Clifton Power-R. Johnson Samuelsson-E. Johnson UPL Comrie With hopefully Olofsson scratched instead of Benson and Clague. Although I can see Clague getting the nod over RJ to give him a final shot at the 7th defense slot over Stillman.

Per https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/how-to-watch-buffalo-sabres-preseason-games-2023 Watch: Sabres.com (Columbus feed with Blue Jackets commentators) https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/buffalo-sabres-live-stream-6336966456112 Listen: WGR 550 (Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray) Sabres also posted a roster, but not starters yet:

If they do go with Skinner - TNT - Benson as a line to start the regular season, I'm sure it's with the idea that Granato will shorten the bench and put Tuch or someone else in Benson's place if the situation calls for it. IE we need more firepower or need more defense.

Personally I still think he should be sent back to Juniors this year. I'd prefer we could send him to the AHL and call him up or something, but since that's not an option so Juniors it is. That said, he's at least earned a try out. If he can keep it up in the regular season, we may have no choice but to keep him. I think that's a good problem to have. That will complicate some things, but if they are serious about winning they should play the best players we have. The downside of the 9 game try out is it doesn't let you project out the endurance aspects of an 82 game season. Even if he plays well to start the season, we saw last year the ups and downs of a long season on young players. However with Quinn out, and Olofsson off to a slow start, I don't think we have enough quality players right now to discount the possible contributions Benson could make right now.

Yeah. Impressive we won by only basically playing 1 period of hockey and missing so many starters, especially on defense

Well this cements he's getting at least a 9 game tryout. If he can play anywhere close to this early on, he's not leaving

Just 18...

if there was any doubt about Benson getting a 9 game try out, I think that goal clinches it. I wonder how many teams are kicking themselves already for passing on him

looking much better in the 3rd so far...

Cue Whitney...or whatever Skinner is using this year...good effort to not give up on the play

Oof. Levi had no idea where that one was, but once again not tying up people in front of the net

now it's Okposo with Tuch/Cozens. So maybe Rousek was just during a partial change..

Jackets goal. Terrible defense there in front of the net

Rousek now playing with Cozens and Tuch with Biro out

Sounds like he's gone off for repair. No updates on how bad it is yet

Past feeds have been US only..so you're probably out of luck

Biro just took a puck to the face or something...

working now

There is a link now (https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/buffalo-sabres-live-stream-6336966456112) but I'm getting 404

Doesn't seem to be

Maybe. The main reason I put Johnson and Byrson together is they've been playing together most (all?) the games they've played. But I could buy the Joki pairing to see if Johnson edges himself ahead of Stillman further. I just don't see them putting Johnson on bottom pair this season unless they move Jokiharju. Even with how well he's played, I have him at #7 on the depth chart, and Stillman as #8, but I suspect Stillman and maybe Bryson make the team and Johnson goes to Rochester to get top pair minutes unless we need a call up. Between how well Benson is playing and how underwhelming Bryson has been, I could see us carrying just 7 defenseman instead of 8 just to keep either a 3rd goalie (hope not) or an extra forward. I don't think Biro clears waivers, so I have both of them staying in Buffalo for the time being.