The Buffalo Sabres are advancing to the next round, but one of the lasting plays from the series was one of the final plays, where Charlie McAvoy took what looked like a baseball swing at Zach Benson. It is a play that has drawn the attention of the league, as he will have an in-person hearing at some point in the future.
That play seems to highlight what Benson has done all series and what he means to this team with the way he plays. On Sunday, forward Jordan Greenway was asked about Benson and said, laughing, "He is just a little rat."
"To be able to go out there in an environment like that and just play as fearless and hard, you know, go to the areas that a lot of guys don't want to go or the hard areas, it speaks a lot to the type of player he is."
Head coach Lindy Ruff was also asked about Benson on Sunday and described him as not like a rat but an insect. "He's like that insect that won't go away. You know, you just keep swatting at it, but you just can't quite get it, and it keeps landing on you," Ruff said.
"Benny is on the puck as good as anyone on this team. I think him and Doaner [Josh Doan] are two of the best, and I think sometimes that can be irritating to an opponent, and the fact that he is the first guy to get the net front, and I think that alone irritates a lot of the opposition."
There is no question that Benson has to be one of the more frustrating players teams have to play against. He certainly gets under the skin of the opponents, but does a great job of toeing the line when it comes to that.
Zach Benson is leading the NHL in a frustrating category
According to Natural Stat Trick, Benson is tied for second in the league lead with the Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny in penalties drawn with seven, but Benson has reached that total in one fewer game.
Recently, though, Benson's offensive production has increased and is no longer just a nuisance but is making an impact on the scoreboard. In the series against the Bruins, he had three points, including a goal and an assist in Game 6.
It isn't overly surprising, as Benson saw the offensive production pick up at the end of the regular season, as he ended it with a point in five straight games and seven points total over that stretch.
Whether it is a rat or an insect, it doesn't really matter as Zach Benson is making an impact for the Buffalo Sabres with his play, and they will need more of that in the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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