After that second goal, in a win over Detroit, Ruff said he “has confidence to play [Kozak] against anybody,” and his usage backs that up; early in the season, he’s handled matchups against the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Tim Stutzle, Ivan Demidov and Dylan Larkin.
Overall, during Kozak’s 54:19 of 5-on-5 ice time, the Sabres have outscored their opponents 2-0 while leading 12-6 in high-danger scoring chances and controlling 61.9 percent of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick.
“He defends quickly, he gets into people; he’s not a big guy, but physically, he can overwhelm somebody low,” Ruff added Wednesday. “He just thinks he can play pretty well against anybody, and his speed is up there with our top guys. Those two qualities put you in a category where you can close on people in a hurry, and then you can physically separate them (from the puck).”
“Obviously it feels good to have the coach’s trust,” Kozak said. “I think coming into last season definitely helped me gain a little confidence, too, just knowing that I can play in this league.”
The former seventh-round pick recalls plenty of nerves when he debuted last Dec. 5 – exactly 11 months ago. His teammates’ support, and his strong play in 28 NHL games, have helped him settle into the top level, and now he appears to have earned a regular spot in Buffalo’s lineup.
All the Sabres’ current injuries could give Kozak a bump from his usual fourth-line minutes, which would mean more shifts to make his usual 200-foot impact and make his presence known around (and beyond) the league.