BUFFALO – For a few moments, Tyson Kozak said he felt “pure joy and excitement.” In his NHL debut Thursday, with his family sitting in the stands, the center appeared to score the go-ahead goal in the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
For Kozak, a Manitoba native, the entire day almost played out magically, starting when he ran into his parents in the hotel lobby in the morning. He had no idea they were in town.
Later in the morning, he found out he would be playing, and hours later, his teammates mobbed him when he grabbed a loose puck in the slot and beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck 17:36 into the second period.
Can you imagine?
Then perhaps the most special moment of Kozak’s career was taken away. The Jets challenged for goalie interference. Officials ruled Sabres winger Beck Malenstyn, who was pushed by Brad Lambert as he skated near the net, “impaired Connor Hellebuyck’s ability to play his position in the crease.”
The goal was taken off the board. The game remained tied 2-2 as the crowd of 14,497 fans in KeyBank Center kept booing.
“Playing in my first game, it’s really cool, and I’m super grateful,” said Kozak, a seventh-round pick in 2021. “(To) thought (to) have scored in my first game is (an) unreal moment, but it got disallowed. So it happens.”
Tyson Kozak thought he scored his first NHL goal and then Winnipeg challenged for goaltender interference successfully #sabrehood #gojetsgo pic.twitter.com/dHdaA2a98m
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) December 6, 2024
The Sabres’ winless skid reached five games (0-3-2) when Adam Lowry beat goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 3:59 into overtime.
Kozak’s disallowed goal stings even more because after center Tage Thompson’s power-play score put the Sabres up 1-0 3:27 into the game, they challenged Gabe Vilardi’s tying goal at 4:14 for goalie interference.
Officials upheld the goal, ruling “incidental contact” between Vilardi and Luukkonen “occurred outside the crease.”
No one seems to know what constitutes goalie interference.
“I don’t know if there’s a smart way to say this, but I feel like it’s (nonsense),” Luukkonen said colorfully. “There’s no way I can make a save on that. I’m not that far out from the crease. If they want to call that a good goal, I don’t see a difference – and then our guy gets pushed into him.
“I don’t know, it’s a quick game, it’s hard for the refs to make the right calls always, but I have no chance to make a save on that play.”
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said you don’t know if it’s goalie interference “unless you challenge.”
“It’s that kind of gray,” he said. “You don’t know. I thought just the fact that he wasn’t allowed to make a save, that’s an interference penalty. It’s at least an interference penalty then. …
“I didn’t like the call. Didn’t like it either way. We had it go the other way on us, and then went the right way for them.”
Not much has gone right for the Sabres lately. But fresh off Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, a game in which they blew a 4-0 lead and lost for the second time in franchise history, they showcased a strong response while tightening up defensively.
“I think we played a good game tonight,” Luukkonen said. “That’s why it kind of stings so much. Defensively, we were really solid tonight. We didn’t give them much. We created enough chances to win the game.”
The Sabres, who played without captain Rasmus Dahlin, who’s nursing a back injury, might’ve won if they stayed out of the box. Their penchant for taking penalties has become a major concern.
After center Dylan Cozens put them up in the second period, defenseman Jacob Bryson and Thompson each received minors on the same play. Kyle Connor scored on the ensuing two-man advantage.
Ruff did not agree with Bryson’s interference call.
“The box-out by (Bryson), his guy went down,” he said. “I can show you 10 of those in the game. And I’ve been harping on our team to be firm around the net and box your guy out. It’s like one of the first ones I’ve seen called.”
The Sabres called up the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Kozak from the Rochester Americans last week when forward Sam Lafferty suffered a lower-body injury.
After sitting out twice as a healthy scratch, he finally got his chance Thursday. Wearing No. 48, he looked comfortable pivoting Malenstyn and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
Prior to the game, Kozak, 21, said he felt nervous.
“My legs were shaking, hands were shaking,” he said. “But after that first shift, I felt very comfortable.”
Kozak’s line, especially Aube-Kubel, who enjoyed a strong preseason before suffering a knee injury, impressed Ruff.
“I thought Aube played a heck of a game,” he said. “Aube was moving, Aube was strong on the puck. He looks like he did in training camp. I think he’s finally got his game back in the right place. And you got two strong guys, you got a guy that’s fearless in Kozak.
“I feel bad, he’s got possible game-winning goal sitting his pocket, and it gets taken away. I’d already congratulated him.”
Last night’s game has to be the hardest loss of the season. Great effort throughout. It was a highly fiesty / entertaining game. I disagreed on both overturned goals that basically screwed the Sabres. One goal was for and one was against, and we lost both challenges. I still can’t wrap my head around both decisions
The Sabres are still struggling to advance the puck out of the defensive zone. They turned the puck over way too many times.
On the bright side, we got 1 point.
Regroup boys and bring that same effort next game.