The Buffalo saber have another difficult season and a difficult center Dylan Cozens thinks he knows why.
“I think we definitely play way too soft. It’s too easy to play against us and we need to bring a little “FU” into our game,” Cozens said on Saturday to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo Newsafter a 2:6 defeat against Carolina.
“I think we had more of that last year. We’re way too soft this year. I feel like we don’t kill plays. We’re kind of bullied and stuff and we know it must be a lot harder to play against us. It’s too easy to play against us at the moment.”
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The Sabers, loaded with former top draft picks, are 10-12-2 and ranked seventh in the Atlantic. The only thing keeping them out of eighth place is the fact that the struggling Senators have played five fewer games and are four points behind.
Buffalo finished 42-33-7 last season, good for 91 points, and narrowly missed out on a wild-card playoff spot. This feels like ancient history for the Sabers right now
“We have to look at every game as our game,” Cozens said. “‘This is our game to win. “We won’t give you a chance.” We have to complete more checks, be harder to play and be stronger in puck battles. We have to finish plays in the defensive zone. It must be much more difficult to play against us.”
Cozens — who scored just four goals and seven assists in 22 games while earning $7.1 million — later admitted he was part of the problem.
“I know it starts with myself and I need to get a lot better to help change things,” said the 22-year-old, a Whitehorse native.
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