Observations: Dylan Cozens' breakout continues with 3-point night in Sabres' loss

Cozens’ ascent took longer than he would have liked. He spent another year in junior hockey, reached the NHL during the Sabres’ disastrous 56-game schedule in 2020-21 and learned last season that he wasn’t quite ready to break through.

Now 21 years old, his emergence as a consistent source of offense came a year later than he planned, but the highest player drafted from the Yukon Territory has established himself as the Sabres’ No. 2 center. He'll likely be the next member of the young core to receive a long-term contract from General Manager Kevyn Adams.

While Cozens’ three-point night Thursday in KeyBank Center wasn’t enough to help the Sabres overcome the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche’s power play in a 6-4 loss, he showed again that he’s become a consistent difference-maker for Buffalo.

"I always knew I had that potential in my game, and it was kind of frustrating not quite feeling it the last few years, but this year I felt I’ve definitely taken the next step and it’s a huge help to my teammates," said Cozens.

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Cozens delivered a goal and two assists for a consecutive multi-point game. He has five goals in his last five games and 13 points in his last 11. On the season, Cozens has nine goals and 21 points in 24 games. He’s the second-line center the Sabres have lacked since former coach Phil Housley had Jack Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly in 2017-18. 

The ascent of Cozens has contributed to the Sabres’ offensive breakout in Don Granato’s second season as coach. Entering Thursday, they ranked fifth in the NHL with 3.7 goals per game. Six of their players had at least eight goals, including Cozens.

This isn’t a one-line team anymore. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and one of Cozens’ linemates, JJ Peterka, also had a goal apiece against the Avalanche. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves to try to overcome the Sabres allowing three power-play goals.

The offense has been the one consistent area for the Sabres (10-13-1). This lineup wouldn’t be as effective without Cozens, who, despite his relative lack of experience, has successfully guided his linemates, Peterka and fellow rookie Jack Quinn, to a successful seven games.

"I think he’s been unbelievable," said Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson. "He’s so fast and strong and he’s been protecting the puck well. He’s only 21, but he looks like a veteran playing with the two younger guys. I think he’s really taken the next step. It’s fun to watch and I’m excited for what he has in store to keep going."

They combined on another goal Thursday when Cozens won a battle along the wall with two Avalanche defenders converging, then passed to Quinn, who faked out goalie Alexander Georgiev before setting up a Peterka one-timer to tie the score 1-1 at 10:19 into the game.

Cozens has also sparked the Sabres’ top power-play unit since he joined the group in Toronto last month. He showed off his exceptional right-handed shot against the Avalanche with a one-timer at the bottom of the left circle to trim the deficit to 4-3 with 5:55 left in the second period.

This isn’t an overnight emergence for Cozens. We saw signs of this in the second half of last season. Though Cozens had only two goals in the final 37 games, he was consistently creating scoring chances. Then, the seventh pick of the 2019 draft showed at the IIHF World Championship that he can be a reliable goal scorer. His seven goals and 13 points were tied for first and third, respectively, among all tournament participants. 

"I think the second half I was getting so many chances, but I couldn’t quite find the goals," said Cozens. "I was getting those looks and those shots. I knew next year, if I just stuck with it, I’d get hot and just roll with it."

Cozens is attacking the middle of the ice, a trend that started last season, and he’s learned how to better protect the puck. He developed the latter through film study with Granato and by watching Thompson’s development over the past year. Plus, Cozens is stronger and better equipped to use his 6-foot-3 frame. 

Cozens also knows how to use his linemates and there’s a consistency with his game that wasn’t there in the past. He hasn’t gone consecutive games without a point this season. Prior to Thursday, he had at least four shots on goal in six of his previous seven games.

The learning hasn't stopped. Cozens is often tasked with defending against the other team's top line. He has the speed and know-how to be shutdown those players, but it's challenging as a young center in the NHL. The position has more responsibility than on the wing.

His growth is significant, though. And Cozens has become an important leader in the dressing room. He is scheduled to reach restricted free agency this summer, and it’s safe to assume Adams would prefer to get a long-term deal done.

"He fights, he battles, he scraps," Granato said of Cozens. "We all see that. That’s the difference. … He’s in a lot of situations. He’s getting key ice time because of his growth, which helps, and he’s just maturing. He’s a much more mature player than he was at the end of last year."

Here are other observations from the game:

1. Good response

Heads up play by the Sabres off the opening faceoff in the third period. Thompson won the draw back to Rasmus Dahlin, who sent the puck into the offensive zone and off the end boards behind the net. Tuch sped past every Avalanche skater, collected the puck and beat Georgiev to trim Colorado’s lead to 5-4 only seven seconds in.

Tuch revealed afterward that it was a set play.

"Tommer was winning a couple in a row, so I thought he’d be able to snap one back and he was able to," said Tuch. "I told Dahls to just send it off the Tim Hortons sign at the end and hopefully it was going to pop up to me, and it ended up being perfect. It was a great play, great faceoff and pass by Dahls.”

Tuch has 11 goals and 23 points through 24 games. Dahlin, meanwhile, appeared in his 300th career game and collected an assist.

2. Controlling play

The Avalanche learned the difficult way not to give Thompson the puck in space close to the net. When Colorado’s penalty kill collapsed to try to clear it out of the zone, Jeff Skinner managed to get the puck to Thompson, who stickhandled around Georgiev to score his 15th goal of the season for a 2-1 Sabres lead with 1:11 left in the first period.

Thompson finished with three points, a goal and two assists, for his eighth multi-point game this season.

Thompson has 29 points in his last 17 games, and he entered Thursday on pace for 50 goals with 103 points. If Thompson cracks the 50-goal mark, he’ll become the fifth skater in franchise history to do so. The others are Danny Gare, Pat LaFontaine, Rick Martin and Alexander Mogilny.

3. Breaking through

Granato predicted a Peterka offensive breakthrough was coming. Peterka was creating scoring chances. He couldn’t take advantage of opportunities because he was trying to aim for specific areas of the net rather than trusting his shot, like Thompson did early last season. There was no way Peterka was missing Thursday, though, because of the play made by Cozens.

"That was great," Quinn said of Cozens' work along the boards. "He almost made something out of nothing there. Two guys kind of jumped him and the play could have easily been dead, but he was able to slip it through the guy’s legs, I think, and give me and JJ a 2-on-1. I

Peterka, 20, has a three-game point streak and he’s up to five goals in 24 games this season. Remember, the rookie had a similar start in Rochester a year ago before his outstanding second half.

4. 'Real good sign'

Despite the five goals against, this was a better showing for Luukkonen. He was particularly strong in the third period when the Sabres needed some saves to try to tie it. Luukkonen stopped 11 shots before Granato pulled him for an extra attacker.

Luukkonen wasn't happy, though. He was one of the last to leave the dressing room and got a pat on the back from Samuelsson on his way out. But the only bad goal against was J.T. Compher's second of the night. Luukkonen stopped the initial shot, but he allowed a rebound toward the middle of the ice.

"He was really good in the third period, which was nice to see because I’m sure he wished he had another opportunity on another one or two of those in the second," Granato said. "And not to say he’s at fault. He probably could’ve had them knowing him as an athlete. But for the third to rebound and bounce back and keep that game tight was a real good sign."

Luukkonen allowed four goals on 13 shots in the second period, though he's hardly to blame for the Sabres taking consecutive minor penalties only five seconds apart. The Avalanche's power play, which ranks first in the NHL, scored twice in 49 seconds.

The Sabres had trouble containing Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon. He finished with two goals and five points with eight shots on goal in 25:09 of ice time.

5. Another change

Peyton Krebs drew into the lineup, centering Casey Mittelstadt and Victor Olofsson. Krebs, who was scratched in four of the previous five games, finished with only 7:35 of ice time because he wasn't on special teams. He took a hooking penalty with 3:04 left in regulation. The line worked well at 5-on-5, though. 

The Sabres had 77.78% of the shot attempts (7-2) when Krebs' line was on the ice.

Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin remains day to day with a lower-body injury and his timeline to return will be based on pain tolerance.

In other roster news, former Sabres forward Riley Sheahan, whose contract was terminated over the weekend, signed a contract with EHC Biel-Bienne of Switzerland’s top professional league.

6. Next

The Sabres will host the San Jose Sharks in KeyBank Center on Sunday at 7 p.m., followed by a game in Columbus on Wednesday.