Was Cozens dogging it here

[HumanSlinky39]

I don't think he was ever intentionally "dogging it", but could a malaise had set in from the constant losing? Sure. I think mentally he was broken here. Look at Cozens from 2022/23 and then this year's version. It was two completely different players. In 2022/23, he was making better decisions both ways, he was a solid passer/playmaker and he was decisive with his shots & shot selection. Since early last season, he's been a storm trooper with his passes, his shooting was poorly chosen and inaccurate, and he made horrible decisions in both zones. 

I don't think it was ever a talent issue with Dylan; I think it was all grey matter. Maybe he turns it around in Ottawa, maybe he doesn't. I haven't watched their 2 games with him, so I cannot speak to how he's playing, but many players get a temporary bump with their new team. Once the endorphins subside, a lot regress back to the mean. Maybe being in a playoff chase unlocks some of the potential he showed early on. Either way, we're better with Norris IMO because Dylan was hard broken and was never turning it around here.

Edited 20 hours ago by HumanSlinky39

[Drag0nDan]

13 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

I don't think he was ever intentionally "dogging it", but could a malaise had set in from the constant losing? Sure. I think mentally he was broken here. Look at Cozens from 2022/23 and then this year's version. It was two completely different players. In 2022/23, he was making better decisions both ways, he was a solid passer/playmaker and he was decisive with his shots & shot selection. Since early last season, he's been a storm trooper with his passes, his shooting was poorly chosen and inaccurate, and he made horrible decisions in both zones. 

I don't think it was ever a talent issue with Dylan; I think it was all grey matter. Maybe he turns it around in Ottawa, maybe he doesn't. I haven't watched their 2 games with him, so I cannot speak to how he's playing, but many players get a temporary bump with their new team. Once the endorphins subside, a lot regress back to the mean. Maybe being in a playoff chase unlocks some of the potential he showed early on. Either way, we're better with Norris IMO because Dylan was hard broken and was never turning it around here.

He was literally breaking other players on the team when he played with them - i think he had to go.  

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, quill said:

It made me sick to see Cozens score the winning goal last night. Cozens wasn't the main reason the Sens won. Ullmark was the reason the Sens won. The Sens were outplayed by the Red Wings all night long and Ullmark kept the Sens in it all night. On his winning goal, Cozens didn't do anything unusual. He was left all alone and was set up beautifully by Soderbloom. All he had to do was shoot it into an empty net. What makes me just as sick as seeing Cozens score that goal was seeing Ullmark stand on his head all night and remembering how the Sabres let him slip away through our fingers.

Cozens, from what I saw, actually didn't play that well.  As someone else posted, when he was on the ice the opposition had more shots and more chances than his line generated from Ottawa.

The other game when he threw a lot of 'hits', some of them were little more than casually bumping a guy that he was given credit for a hit.  2 of them I actually saw were 'same old Cozens', he followed through on a hit well after the puck was gone and took himself out of the play as the puck went back up the ice (maybe that is still the reason why Ottawa was outshot and outchanced so badly when he was on the ice).

Like the Eichel and Reinhart deals (and Mitts to a certain extent), I'll check in on how Cozens is doing...because as fans that is what we do....see how the traded player is performing. 2 games is....well....a super small sample size, but in that small sample size.....what I have seen and the stats I have read...he's not really any different there through 2 games overall.

You mentioned Ulmark.  That is years ago already...but the Sabres would be MUCH better this year having Ulmark back on the roster than Cozens.

[Night Train]

Last year, he did little until the Sabres were eliminated. Then he scored in garbage time. 

I could care less what he does in Ottawa. 

[Sidc3000]

On 3/9/2025 at 11:12 AM, Archie Lee said:

Why the HaHa! I think Benson will be fine. But the situation isn’t great and it’s reasonable for people to have concern about the impact of the Sabre environment on any player (Benson included). It wasn’t long ago that the idea of trading Quinn was openly mocked by people projecting a 40 goal and 80 point season. Things can go south quickly. 

Exactly. Any player could go south quick in that environment, especially a kid like benson. 

[LTS]

1 hour ago, quill said:

It made me sick to see Cozens score the winning goal last night. Cozens wasn't the main reason the Sens won. Ullmark was the reason the Sens won. The Sens were outplayed by the Red Wings all night long and Ullmark kept the Sens in it all night. On his winning goal, Cozens didn't do anything unusual. He was left all alone and was set up beautifully by Soderbloom. All he had to do was shoot it into an empty net. What makes me just as sick as seeing Cozens score that goal was seeing Ullmark stand on his head all night and remembering how the Sabres let him slip away through our fingers.

Did it make you sick?  Really? As you said, he did nothing unusual and in fact scored a goal that any NHL player could score, but you are sick over it?  Then, to double down Ullmark made you just a sick. You must be feeling awful.

And the "slip through our fingers" narrative.. I swear we need to get a pinned post where long running topics that come to an agreement can be summarized so people stop perpetuating myths and fan fiction.

 

[HumanSlinky39]

1 hour ago, Drag0nDan said:

He was literally breaking other players on the team when he played with them - i think he had to go.  

100%

[...]

Just wait until the Senators go on a losing streak and/or wait until Cozens has to fight or contribute meaningfully to a scrum.

 

[DarthEbriate]

3 minutes ago, ... said:

Just wait until the Senators go on a losing streak and/or wait until Cozens has to fight or contribute meaningfully to a scrum.

^  This is one part of a point I'd make, and the other half being... and wait until he isn't being told, "Keep it simple while you adjust to our schemes and your new linemates/responsibilities."

I do think they eventually move him to wing, but for the moment, he has Perron (veteran who will consistently cover up his mistakes; a Zucker, if you will) and Batherson - a legit top-6 winger who is 26 years old and has improved his points totals every single season. And he's only on PP2.

This was not the case in Buffalo (at least not for more than a few games here and there) for his entire tenure. Even this season, he was basically always on PP1 and was skating on a line with Quinn or JJP or Benson or even Kulich. He never got Zucker-Cozens-Tuch for 10 games in a row. This season, he had 2-game stretch between Zucker-Thompson (the Sabres were 2-0).

[PerreaultForever]

I think he'd lost his love here, yes. This is the thing. All these younger guys know they'll get another chance somewhere else and it's the easiest path away from the losing. Once he had his contract he knew he held all the cards. 

[Huckleberry]

Come on - 2 games played for the Sens and his underlying metrics are as bad as here.

On the ice for more shots against than for , every stat says his team is worse with him on the ice last 2 games.  Rather just focus on Norris and how we can get his offensive game going.   Because that contract is bad if he isn't at least a 60 point player each season.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I think he'd lost his love here, yes. This is the thing. All these younger guys know they'll get another chance somewhere else and it's the easiest path away from the losing. Once he had his contract he knew he held all the cards. 

lol, Cozens isn't that smart, if he were, he'd be better at hockey. 

[Pimlach]

8 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Plowers is bad too and we always spell his name right

 

I think you mean Johnny Powers, the former NWF North American Champion? 

[Thorner]

Ya, just wait! They’ll see! The Sabres are the smart ones

Edited 15 hours ago by Thorner

[inkman]

Raw Dogging I believe 

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

lol, Cozens isn't that smart, if he were, he'd be better at hockey. 

I think you're actually right about that. I do believe he is a slow thinker and sometimes that leads to on ice indecision. It's possible that in his new environment he gets renewed confidence and plays more instinctively (and is thus better) but thinking not a strength. 

[KC Scouts]

Dogging it.....no......he's flawed..... 

Take the long view.......Cozens eventually finds the level he had here in Ottawa.......a Zebra can't change his stripes 

[RVJ]

Here we go. Cozens scores again.