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.