NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As far as first impressions, Buffalo Sabres fans couldn't have asked for a better one from new defenseman Bowen Byram.
Byram, acquired Wednesday in a trade with the Avalanche that sent forward Casey Mittelstadt to Colorado, made his Sabres debut Thursday, suiting up for Buffalo's game in Nashville.
It didn't take long for the 22-year-old defenseman to make an immediate impact.
On his very first shot as a Sabre, Byram took a feed from Rasum Dahlin and fired a wrist shot past Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros. The goal tied the game in the first period at 1-1 after the Predators had scored on the power play less than a minute earlier.
The goal marks Byram's ninth of the season, after scoring eight goals in 55 games with Colorado this season.