5 takeaways | Cozens a bright spot in loss to Rangers

Ralph Krueger said Tuesday morning that he expected Dylan Cozens to be a difference maker for the Buffalo Sabres in their game against the New York Rangers. A fight probably wasn't what he had in mind.
Cozens, playing his first NHL game with fans in attendance in front of a limited capacity at Madison Square Garden, was unflinching when he dropped the gloves against Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren during the third period of a one-goal contest. The moment stood out as a bright spot in a 3-2 loss during which the Sabres did plenty well but paid for missed opportunities and early mistakes.
Here are five takeaways, beginning with the 20-year-old rookie from the Yukon.

1. Cozens steps up

Cozens had been considering dropping the gloves for a few games but was waiting for the right moment to leave his mark. He got it in the form of a challenge from Lindgren following a physical shift between the two players around the New York net.
"I took the opportunity," Cozens said. "We were down a goal in the third and I just wanted to spark the boys a bit."
Cozens jumped immediately on Lindgren with an unwavering succession of right hooks, knocking the defenseman's mouthpiece to the ice before officials intervened.
"I think that was probably the most fired up we've been all season," alternate captain Kyle Okposo said. "Yeah, I wasn't surprised. He's got that old-school hockey in him. He plays the game the right way, he's solid defensively. Going to go through ups and down through his rookie season, but for the most part, he's been great and the sky's the limit for him."

The fight came at the tail end of a strong return to the lineup for Cozens, who was given a rest day while the Sabres hosted Philadelphia on Sunday. He skated 10:55 and set the screen on goaltender Igor Shesterkin that allowed Tobias Rieder to score from the point during the second period.
"Boy is Dylan Cozens ever on the map, the future map of the Sabres," Krueger said. "How exciting is that to see that kind of bite and fight?
"We're talking about getting ourselves back into the type of game we want to see and there you've got a Dylan Cozens stepping up and you can see the natural leader that he is in this moment where he takes it upon himself and not only goes and fights, but wins his first National Hockey League fight decisively."

2. Early mistakes prove costly

Pavel Buchnevich got behind the Sabres defense, caught a stretch pass from Mika Zibanejad and beat Carter Hutton on a breakaway just 28 seconds into the contest. Sam Reinhart tied the game 27 seconds later, only for Buchnevich to capitalize on a defensive-zone turnover and bank a shot in off the leg of Alexis Lafreniere at the 2:36 mark.
The 2-1 lead held until Chris Kreider buried a shot on the rush midway through the second period.
"It was tough," Reinhart said. "It was kind of a disastrous start with a couple goals back and forth but I think both teams settled in and I liked the way we rebounded."

3. Missed chances

Buffalo led the game in every statistical category except the one that matters most. NaturalStatTrick.com gave the Sabres a 5-on-5 edge in shot attempts (55-32), scoring chances (24-16), and high-danger attempts (12-7). Shots were 24-20 in their favor.
"Overall, it was a very strong defensive game and our offense, our power play, just didn't do what it should've done with the opportunity on the table," Krueger said. "But we really neutralized them well. I thought we skated well. I thought there was a lot of movement. We created some better grit and O-zone time. Certainly … habits we need to take with us into the future."

4. Skinner's strong game

Jeff Skinner was among the players who was held off the score sheet despite a wealth of opportunities. He finished with nine shot attempts, including a backdoor chance during the second period that was robbed by Shesterkin.
"That's the kind of push we need, and Jeff had some grade-As today that will certainly give him confidence although he's frustrated that he didn't finish," Krueger said. "But, again, he's got to get the chances first. It all stems from the compete he showed, the battles he won, and the fight for the inside position. He wanted to be first on pucks. It was really encouraging, what Jeff showed us today."

5. The big picture

The Sabres are winless in their last four contests entering a three-game set with the New York Islanders that begins Thursday at Nassau Coliseum.
"It's really tough right now for them to get confidence out of a good game without the results," Krueger said. "That's going to be our mental challenge here the next 48 hours."