The Buffalo Sabres may have lost 4-3 in overtime to the Washington Capitals, but it’s to no fault of Zach Benson, who once again played well.
The Buffalo Sabres lost a heartbreaker after giving up a goal late when the Washington Capitals emptied their net, before they gave up another with just seconds to go in overtime. But you can’t fault Zach Benson, who once again played a stellar game, starting with one of the best goals you’ll see all season.
What Benson did was something reminiscent of Tage Thompson, driving the puck in front of the net before he moved his stick every which way and ultimately snagging his first NHL goal. If you missed it, make sure to check out the replay below, because it’s not just one of those goals that Sabres fans will remember – it’s highlight-worthy material for the entire NHL:
Got this one on replay 🤩#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/YszTxRkuqX
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 23, 2023
Buffalo Sabres lose, but Zach Benson may have just won a spot
Zach Benson saw 17:21 of ice time and 21 shifts, the former of which marked over four minutes more than his average time on ice through his first eight games, which sat at 13:20. Benson also looked good on the forecheck, he made plays defensively, and per the usual, he played a smart hockey game.
Sure, some of the bigger players are still knocking him around, and that will be expected. There are times when he tries to make the tight pass into traffic, but he will learn from them. Yet overall, he makes the team better, and that’s what the Blue and Gold need the most from their players at this point.
We’ll see if head coach Don Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams agree, but judging from tonight and his previous few games, it looks like Benson is here to stay in the City of Good Neighbors. Now, it’s all about making it official.
(Statistics provided by NHL.com and Hockey-Reference)