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The Buffalo Sabres recalled Tyson Kozak from the Rochester Americans on Tuesday for the fourth time since Thanksgiving.

‘There’s a lot that goes into that I don’t really think about,” Kozak said after Thursday’s practice at KeyBank Center, reflecting on his recent back-and-forth between rosters. “I just think about playing the best I can, trying to get better every day. Just trying to make those decisions a little tougher.”

The 22-year-old has averaged 10:27 of ice time in his first 10 NHL games, and although his only point came on a Dec. 7 goal versus Utah, Kozak has proven his value in a fourth-line role with Buffalo.

“Obviously, production-wise, (I) want to be a little bit better, but I think coming up here, I just wanted to play my game,” Kozak said. “Didn’t want to really change the way I played. Just try and play a physical, 200-foot game and be responsible defensively.”

A rotating cast of fourth liners has recently included Beck Malenstyn, Sam Lafferty, Peyton Krebs, Nicolas Aube-Kubel – who was assigned to Rochester on Tuesday – and now Zach Benson. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff feels that Kozak’s linemates, whoever they may be, have benefited from the rookie’s presence up the middle.

“He’s defending as a down-low centerman,” Ruff said. “He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. I think when you’re looking at that fourth-line role, the speed he’s brought and the number of puck battles he’s engaged (in) and wins – when you have the puck more, the guys around you are better.”

In Tuesday’s 7-2 win over Boston, a chunk of Kozak’s ice time came against 6-foot-3 Trent Frederic, 6-foot-5 Justin Brazeau and 6-foot-6 Nikita Zadorov. The size of NHL skaters, especially in bottom-six matchups, has been another adjustment from Rochester.

“How strong those guys are, how strong they are on pucks and how strong they are trying to knock you off the puck as well,” said the 5-foot-11 Kozak. “But it doesn’t really bother me how big they are – still gonna go into the battle, try and get that puck just as bad as they want it.”

Kozak has also won 37 of his 71 faceoffs (52.1 percent) with the Sabres. He’s noticed that NHL centers, compared to AHL ones, approach faceoffs with a more calculated plan, but the 10-game sample of success at the dot is yet another testament to Kozak’s early NHL impact.

Here’s more from Thursday’s practice.

Thursday's practice lines

Forwards
77 JJ Peterka20 Jiri Kulich72 Tage Thompson
17 Jason Zucker24 Dylan Cozens89 Alex Tuch
19 Peyton Krebs71 Ryan McLeod22 Jack Quinn 
29 Beck Malenstyn48 Tyson Kozak9 Zach Benson
81 Sam Lafferty
DefensemenGoalies
4 Bowen Byram26 Rasmus Dahlin1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
23 Mattias Samuelsson25 Owen Power 47 James Reimer
78 Jacob Bryson10 Henri Jokiharju
8 Dennis Gilbert75 Connor Clifton

News and notes

1. The Sabres concluded the session by practicing their power play with these familiar units:

Unit 1
 
 
 
17 Jason Zucker
 
72 Tage Thompson
22 Jack Quinn
77 JJ Peterka
 
26 Rasmus Dahlin
 
Unit 2
 
 
 
9 Zach Benson
 
24 Dylan Cozens
89 Alex Tuch
20 Jiri Kulich
 
25 Owen Power
 

Buffalo’s power play has gone 1-for-14 in the last four games, the one goal coming from Benson with 13 seconds remaining in Tuesday’s win. That tally, along with Owen Power’s on Jan. 17 versus Pittsburgh, are the only goals from Buffalo’s second power-play unit in the last 36 games.

That said, Ruff believes those results don’t tell the full story – Saturday at Edmonton, for example, Jiri Kulich scored on a one timer just five seconds after a power play expired.

“There’s times where that unit looks really good, has gone out there and done a better job than our first unit has – with getting the puck in the zone, getting the puck to the net – but hasn’t scored,” Ruff said.

Alex Tuch, who scored eight power-play goals in 2022-23 and multiple in each of the last seven seasons, is still looking for his first of 2024-25. He’s one of four NHL players this season with 16 or more goals but none on the man advantage; three of his 16 have come shorthanded.

“That second unit typically gets between 50 seconds and a minute, and there’s been some good opportunities for [Tuch] to finish,” Ruff said. “You’ve got to think that, sooner or later, one is going to go in. I mean, if you can score shorthanded, you should be able to score 5-on-4.”

2. On Friday, the Sabres will induct Rob Ray as the 44th member of their Hall of Fame.

"I just think of Rob as the ultimate Buffalo Sabre," Ruff said. "... I don't know if there's enough you can say about what he's done since he got here and his post-career – for the team and in the community."

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      Lindy Ruff addresses the media

      Up next

      The Sabres host the Nashville Predators following Friday's ceremony at KeyBank Center. Tickets are available here.

      Tune into MSG at 6 p.m. for coverage of Ray's Hall of Fame ceremony and the ensuing game.