Practice Report | Cozens returns to practice with Sabres in non-contact jersey

Dylan Cozens was back on the ice for practice Wednesday as the Sabres returned home after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at PNC Arena.

The forward appeared in a yellow non-contact jersey and wore a full face shield in his first practice back since sustaining an upper-body injury during a fight in the final minutes of Buffalo’s 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last Friday.

Cozens received a cross-checking penalty and a five-minute major for fighting the Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway as tensions were high in what Cozens and the team considered to be a disappointing performance at KeyBank Center.

“The situation probably didn’t call for it there. I let my frustration get the best of me,” Cozens. “I kind of went after him and it escalated a lot quicker than I had prepared myself for. I think I need to know who I’m going up against and be a little smarter next time, for sure. It’s definitely unneeded at the end of a game like that. So, I learned my lesson and it probably won’t happen like that again.”

Cozens hopes to be in a full-contact jersey for Thursday’s practice and ready to play by this weekend. Sabres coach Don Granato said the coaching staff will reassess the situation Thursday and go from there. The team was without forwards JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch, and Tyson Jost for practice Wednesday, all of whom took maintenance days.

“I think it’s only fair to just give him some time. I know he was excited to get back on the ice today. He’s not a guy that can stay off the ice too long,” Granato said. “We had three guys take maintenance days today, too – Peterka, [Tuch] and Jost. We’ll just see where everybody’s at tomorrow and go from there.”

Granato thought that Cozens’ decision to fight Hathaway was a result of the way the game was going and the emotion and passion the 22-year-old plays with.

“You know, that’s why we love him because he plays with such passion and energy," Granato said. "And he just—he just had enough. He just was not happy with our team game, not happy with the situation, and then just went after it without processing that he was even in a fight, I don’t think. Against somebody that was capable.

"So yeah, it’s the energy and passion that is Dylan Cozens, and you love it. You can speak to anything else but that’s what I see on that, and it was a night where you can see that type of reaction from that type of leader.”

Keep reading for more news and notes from practice.

1. Matt Savoie skated in Tuch’s place on a line with Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson while Cozens joined Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons.

The remaining forwards - Victor Olofsson, Peyton Krebs, Jordan Greenway, Lukas Rousek, and Casey Mittelstadt - rotated between lines together.

2. Granato shared that forward Zach Benson, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, and goaltender Eric Comrie all skated this morning before practice.

“They’re all progressing, either right on schedule or ahead of schedule, which is good news,” Granato said.

3. Granato also said there may be an opportunity to get Savoie in the lineup this weekend.

“I think there’s an opportunity to get him in there and we’ll see, as I said today with the guys, how the crew is tomorrow and then look at a decision after tomorrow with that in mind,” he said.

Savoie was recalled from his conditioning loan with the Rochester Americans on Monday. The 19-year-old recorded two goals and three assists in six games with the Amerks, including his first AHL goal against Laval on Oct. 27.

4. Defenseman Ryan Johnson logged 19:26 of ice time and a plus-1 rating against the Hurricanes on a defense pair with Rasmus Dahlin.

Following practice, Granato talked about what makes the young defenseman stand out.

“He has great athleticism, which buys him an extra half second, and the poise to then look up ice and widen his scope to see potential pass options. And then obviously skill to snap and execute and skate away from trouble when he puts a guy on his back. So, agility, mobility, skills and then he’s got a real good feel for the game to keep it simple,” Granato said.

5. The players posed with this year's Hockey Fights Cancer scarves, which fans will receive at Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Friday against the Minnesota Wild.

For more information on the night, click here. 

Tickets are available here.