LGR4GM

1st line did show up, Mitts and Greenway both scored and Benson assisted.

The offsides challenge is dumb no matter who does it.

60 pts in his prime seems low to me

Benson currently being credited with an assist on Mitts goal. That's 2 assists for Benson tonight.

Matthews with back to back hat tricks to open the season.

My good friend has seasons with his dad. Last year they missed 3 games and the rest either they were sitting in the seats or they have them to friends.

I mean, Benson is just a terror

Benson is the smarter Sabre on the roster.

Yup 2 secondary assist

So... let me talk about the little chaos engine that is Zach Benson

Just heard Africa by Toto, that's a really solid song.

Easy, he was short without elite speed.

Benson shouldn't have been available at 13. He shouldn't have been available at 10, or even 6.

Wait, there's a new between 2 stalls?!? Dude I'm pumped for that, those are great.

Gonna have to skate harder, pass better, backcheck 100 times better, and be physically disruptive.

Gonna be fun watching Cooley this year

Idk how you want him to look better when the defense is allowing cross ice passes to waiting and uncovered forwards on the back door. 3 of the 4 goals he allowed last night were literal back door tap ins.

The problem with last night was being entirely out of sync (maybe only 1 preseason game isn't enough Donny) and the complete lack of rushing or pinching. There were so many times last night where they would do the ***** STUPID USELESS WORTHLESS ANNOYING drop pass (which at times guys literally missed) and then all everyone else did was stop skating and waited in their designated spots for the entry or dump in. Then defenders were fleeing, FLEEING, the blue line whenever a ranger touched the puck and they didn't stop fleeing until they saw their own faceoff circle allowing easy entries. We repeatedly gave up our own blue line while also repeatedly refusing to take away the walls in both zones. It was a mess last night. Defenders would dobule cover the same guy. 3 goals happened because of players standing around. The panarin goal happened because instead of challenging him we backed off and backed off and backed off. I get you gotta watch for the pass there but you let him get into prime scoring areas. I hated last night. It was a perfect encapsulation of all the problems we saw in preseason and what doomed them last year and no one seems to be interested in fixing it.

Just a few thoughts. I'm not going read the thread because ppl need to vent and I get that. Peterka had moments but both olofsson and Cozens were bad. Plays died on their sticks all evening. The defensive zone detail is awful. It's something coaching needs to address and has needed to address. The drop pass on the pp is dumb. It worked 0 times. The Sabres abandoned blue lines like they were chernobyl. Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch were meh. Benson is really good, but I still maintain he should go back to the WHL. Greenway played well. He deserves some recognition for putting in the work he did. Not much else to say. They weren't good enough, they didn't look sharp, they seemed lazy at times, unprepared is a good word. Where the go from here is up to them but tonight wasn't acceptable.

Some y'all need some deep breaths and a hug

Benson is insanely good

To go to the game or not to go, that is the question.

NYR lines Forwards Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko Panarin-Chytil-Lafreniere Cuylle-Trocheck-Wheeler Goodrow-Bonino-Pitlick Vesey, extra Defense Lindgren-Fox Miller-Trouba Gustafsson-Schneider Jones, extra Goalies Shesterkin Quick