BUFFALO, N.Y. — Two days after opening training camp, the Buffalo Sabres held their Blue and Gold Scrimmage at KeyBank Center on Saturday.
Buffalo finished last season 26th in the NHL in goals against, meaning a renewed emphasis on the defensive side of the puck as this training camp began.
That focus was evident, as Team Blue won a low-scoring affair 2-0 on a penalty shot from Tage Thompson and a smooth finish from Jiri Kulich, with both goals coming in the second of two 25-minute halves.
"It was good," defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said. "I think we worked on our habits today. Really good defensive side of the game. We were talking about it. If you start the focus on defense, the offense will come. So yeah, it was a good start to camp, and we've just got to build on this."
There was a small scare late in the scrimmage with Dahlin coming off the ice holding his wrist, but he alleviated any worries in the locker room postgame.
"All good," Dahlin said. "I did a stupid choice blocking a shot, but it's all good now."
The game provided another look at some of the Sabres prospects getting time alongside veteran players, with head coach Dan Granato pairing a younger forward along with two more experienced players on each line.
That includes Zach Benson who, despite not scoring Saturday, has impressed playing next to Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner.
"His hockey sense and hockey IQ is very high," Granato said of Benson. "You can tell he's had some experience in different situations. I thought he fit very well, very confident."
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