'BEN' THERE, DONE THAT

It's one of the greatest forms of admiration.
To be 'wanted' by your teammates and become known as the guy who makes others around you better.
When Sam Bennett is out there cruising around on the forecheck, banging bodies and ploughing his way to the paint, few others can impact a game the way that he can.
"He's got versatility and we want to use it," Head Coach Geoff Ward said of Bennett, who will slide up on a line tonight with Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane.

"It allows you to keep utilizing the depth of your lineup; it allows you to get different looks; it allows you to play with matchups. Sometimes, it can give a little energy boost to the people he moves around with.
"Usually, guys don't complain when you put players like him with people on a line. They enjoy playing with him. That was the one comment I also got about Dom Simon when I was talking with the Pittsburgh guys about him. 'This is one guy on your team that everybody is going to want on their line,' and I think Sam brings a little bit of that as well."

Bennett started the season alongside Milan Lucic and Joakim Nordstrom.
But following a "flat" second period that saw the Jets rally from a two-goal deficit - and not wanting to shorten the bench this early in the season - Ward made the switch at that point and rolled with it the rest of the way in Thursday's OT defeat.
The early returns were certainly positive.
Together, the Bennett-Backlund-Mangiapane trio played 4:07 together, out-chancing the Jets 3-1 in the process and allowing only a single shot attempt by Winnipeg.
The Bennett/Backlund pair, in particular, has worked well together in the past - while Mangiapane adds an explosive, offensive dimension that should make for a great mix.
"You've got to remember, (Bennett) scored 18 goals playing with Backs one year," Ward said. "They've got some chemistry together, so we felt like we could make the switch and he would be fine there, and he was. He played really, really well there. I think that says something about his versatility. When you have guys like that that can play different positions, they really give you an ace in the hole in terms of how you deploy your lineup."
Bennett appreciates that line of thinking, knowing he can (and will) be deployed at centre or wing depending on the circumstances throughout this long season. He relishes that Swiss Army Knife-role and enjoys the different combinations that allow him to play to his ability.
Undeniably, though, there's a real comfort with Backlund, and the bearded brute can't wait to step up and show why in tonight's home opener against the Vancouver Canucks.
"He's awesome," Bennett said. "He's one of my favourite guys to play with. He's so defensively responsible, he actually gives you more opportunities offensively. He's a great skater that can make plays, and he does all the little things right.
"It makes it an easy game when you play with him."