Zach Benson praises unsung Sabres teammate: 'Shows the dog he has in him'

Zach Benson knows a thing or two about finding success in the NHL without prototypical size or generational talent. So, perhaps it's no surprise he enjoyed the effort put forth by Buffalo Sabres teammate Zach Metsa on Thursday night.

The 5-foot-9 defenseman watched as Columbus Blue Jackets enforcer Mathieu Olivier (6'1'', 232 pounds) tapped the puck into an empty Sabres net on a delayed penalty early in the second period. Metsa responded immediately, which led Olivier to start throwing haymakers and, while the Buffalo blueliner was clearly outmatched, he held his own until the officials stepped in.

"Unbelievable," Benson told Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. "He's an unbelievable teammate. He fought the toughest guy in the league. That shows the dog he has in him."

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff wasn't a fan of Olivier's antics, and the Columbus forward was ultimately given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the ordeal.

"I don't even know what Olivier was thinking," Ruff said. "I mean, come on, it's Metsa. I thought Metsa did a great job protecting himself. I give him a lot of credit for that because Olivier is a tough customer. He stuck in there and did a heck of a job."

Metsa's team-first approach is one of the reasons Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen gave him a one-year contract extension that covers the 2027-28 season in early September. He's excelled as the club's No. 7 defenseman, playing safe, dependable hockey when called upon.

His battle with Olivier is also a prime example of the Sabres' evolved culture. They rarely stepped up to defend teammates during the franchise's miserable 14-year playoff drought, and that lack of an "all for one, one for all" attitude matters in the NHL.

Buffalo came up short against Columbus, falling 6-3 on the road, but expectations are still high as the Blue and Gold prepare for their home opener Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Olen Zellweger nearing a return to bolster Sabres' defense

Giving up six goals in the first game of the new season isn't ideal, but it's a little more understandable when you consider the Sabres' circumstances.

Mattias Samuelsson played but was essentially a game-time decision after recovering from a preseason injury. Olen Zellweger and Conor Timmins both missed the contest. Louis Crevier and Matt Grzelcyk were making their Buffalo debuts, and Grzelcyk only joined the organization last week.

So, aside from Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, there were a lot of variables in play Thursday night and the Blue Jackets fully capitalized on the Sabres' defensive uncertainty.

Help is on the way, though. Zellweger was a full participant in Friday's practice as he goes through the final stages of the NHL's concussion protocol. The former Anaheim Ducks defenseman has a chance to play his first game in the Blue and Gold on Saturday night.

Zellweger's return would at least give Buffalo its projected top-four defense group (Samuelsson-Dahlin and Zellweger-Power), which should go a long way to stabilize the back end.

Crevier, who just signed a four-year extension of his own, Metsa and Grzelcyk would then compete for playing time on the bottom pair.

Buffalo's blue line was an essential piece of the team's long-awaited turnaround last season, and Ruff is going to need his defenders to play high-end two-way hockey once again if the club is going to keep pace in the highly competitive Eastern Conference.

That certainly wasn't the case against the Blue Jackets, and it showed up in the final score. Thankfully for the Sabres, it was the first matchup of an 84-game schedule.

They'll look to get rolling in the right direction Saturday against the Blackhawks.

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