Zach Benson sported a huge shiner on his left eye, a bandage over his left cheek and a full face shield to protect it on the ice when he returned to Buffalo Sabres practice Tuesday in KeyBank Center.

The team’s 20-year-old energy pepper pot hasn’t played in any of the first three games thus far after taking a puck in practice last week and developing complications that landed him in the hospital for two nights.

“I went and got stitches and it kind of kept blowing up on me,” said Benson, the winger who could make his season debut Wednesday in the home game against the Ottawa Senators. “It got to the point where I thought it would be best to go to the emergency room and thankfully I did. I had to get some blood removed from my face and I’m thankful for the doctors and the care I had.”

Ben

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