[Lysowski] Dylan Cozens des Sabres revient à l’attaque pour tenter d’atteindre un autre niveau
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Spiritual_Bourbon
@Sabres de Buffalo
[Lysowski] Dylan Cozens des Sabres revient à l’attaque pour tenter d’atteindre un autre niveau
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Spiritual_Bourbon
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https://archive.ph/Tb7FD
“He’s not looked like himself; he’s looked like a better version of himself at any point in his career, really, just in the last month,” Sabres coach Don Granato said after Cozens totaled eight shots and 13 shot attempts against Dallas. “All the different things in life that were presented to him at the start of the year, he’s a different, more mature hockey player right now. And it’s a good time for us to have that happening.”
Cozens is tied for second in goals (6) and third on the Sabres in points (16) in 19 games since Dec. 15, while, according to Natural Stat Trick, his shot quality and scoring chances at 5-on-5 lead the team during that span. He was their best forward against Dallas, logging 20:59 of ice time while creating nine scoring chances.
The Sabres (22-24-4) will count on Cozens to make the same impact Saturday when they host the St. Louis Blues at 1 p.m. His improvement over the past two months has short- and long-term implications for Buffalo. After all, it was one year ago this week that General Manager Kevyn Adams signed Cozens to a seven-year, $50 million contract. He’s a pivotal figure in Adams’ plan to build a Stanley Cup contender.
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Confidence isn’t an issue for Cozens now. He’s seen the impact that he can make in the NHL. Among all 2019 draft picks, Cozens is second in points (148) and fourth in goals (58). He’s developed into the big, physical, fast, game-changing center that Buffalo envisioned that he’d become. He, like many others on the Sabres, is still searching for consistency.
Even a performance like the one Cozens had Tuesday is an opportunity to learn from mistakes. He watches plays from each game to diagnose whether he could approach a situation differently, whether it’s chipping the puck into the offensive zone or attempting a pass when there was an opportunity to shoot.
The big picture bothers Cozens. He’s disappointed that he’s produced 10 goals and 29 points in 47 games. The past month has shown that he’s turned the corner, though, and the Sabres need it to continue the rest of the season.
“I still need to be willing to beat a guy one-on-one,” said Cozens. “With those steps I’ve taken defensively, I’ve kind of lost a little bit of that. I think I need to get back to that and that’s more of a mindset thing. Not being scared to make a mistake. I know I have the tools.
“I think I’ve maybe been playing a little too responsibly at times. I want to be that guy that has a … mentality, like, ‘I don’t care if I lose the puck, I’m gonna try to beat you.’ That’s the player I know I am and that’s what I’m going to look to do here.”