'You can see we're brothers' | Sabres rise to occasion in outdoor win

HAMILTON, Ont. - Dylan Cozens stood on the outside of the boards, banging on the glass as if he were any other Sabres fan in the stadium.
Cozens was ejected for his altercation with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting with 1:43 remaining in the Sabres' 5-2 win in the Heritage Classic on Sunday. He spent the remainder of the contest watching on one knee, then jumped to his feet to celebrate after the final horn sounded.
The scuffle between Cozens and Bunting was a response to Cozens' open-ice hit on Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews, which in itself was a response to Matthews' cross-check to the throat of Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

It was also a microcosm of a weekend in which the Sabres showed they are unafraid of a challenge.
"I just want to talk about Cozey, what he did," Dahlin said afterward. "You can really see we're brothers in the locker room. We care about each other. We have something really good going on. Everyone wants to win together and it's fun to be a part of for sure."

The Sabres' brotherhood was on full display Thursday, when they rallied to an emotional win over the Vegas Golden Knights and former captain Jack Eichel. It was apparent on Sunday morning, when the team showed up to Tim Hortons Field and its windy, sub-30s conditions, wearing matching short shorts and Flint Tropics jerseys. (Credit for that idea, by the way, goes to Cody Eakin.)
It showed once more as the Sabres battled to their second win over the rival Maple Leafs in an 11-day span, overcoming a 2-1 deficit in the process. Vinnie Hinostroza and Peyton Krebs scored two goals apiece before Tage Thompson deposited the game-clinching score into an empty net.
Cozens' hit on Matthews came after the scoring had concluded. The Sabres' 21-year-old centerman sent the NHL's leading goal scorer down to the ice, prompting a multi-player scrum that ended with 10-minute misconducts being assessed to both Cozens and Thompson.
"We're really proud of what we have here," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "… We know we have skill, there's a good mix of some older really good leaders. But we really know we have good people and competitive people.
"When you watch our group compete the way they've competed the last couple of games and get the reward for the work, it's nice on the coaching side, for our organization, for all we talk about. The last couple games are something we really felt our players worked for. Credit to them."

The Sabres were aware well aware of the spotlight entering this four-game span. The hockey world turned its attention to Buffalo for Eichel's return to KeyBank Center, a game that was streamed nationwide on ESPN+. The Heritage Classic is one of the NHL's marquee events.
Alex Tuch - no stranger to big games from his days with the Golden Knights - spoke Wednesday about the young Sabres needing to feel and embrace the added pressure. They rose to the occasion.

"To be able to do it in in this environment, or perform well performing under pressure, yes, it does give you confidence moving forward," Granato said. "We've had a lot of games, and we felt we deserve better, and maybe deserve wins and didn't come. And you have to just keep pushing forward.
"So, this one, last couple of days have been a good indicator. Just keep doing it. Just keep doing what you're doing and things will turn for you."
Now, onto more notes from the Heritage Classic win.

Krebs, Hinostroza fuel offense

Hinostroza found Krebs in front of the net for the game's first goal, a play that was both reminiscent of their connection against the Golden Knights and a sign of things to come.
Hinostroza scored Buffalo's next goal, sending a shot off goaltender Petr Mrazek and into the net off Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie. The score erased a 2-1 deficit in the second period.
Hinostroza added his second goal (and third point) early on in the third period, sneaking a shot past Mrazek from along the goal line.

"I'm playing with two really skilled guys in Coz and Krebs right now so I'm just trying to keep my feet moving and play with energy," Hinostroza said. "I think every shift I want to be fast, be physical, play hard and try to create some space for those guys and it just happened that I chipped in on the scoresheet tonight."
Krebs provided cushion with his second goal, scored after Mrazek knocked the net off its pegs.
"I just tried to do my best with my linemates and my teammates, have fun and yeah, it was a great experience," Krebs said. "Probably the most fun I've had playing hockey. It was awesome."

Sabres get Tropical

Hinostroza said the Sabres had previously settled on another costume idea, but it was used by one of the teams in the Stadium Series game between Nashville and Tampa Bay. It was Eakin who suggested wearing costumes from the movie "Semi Pro."

"We have so much fun," Hinostroza said. "We had a fun ride over from the hotel wearing those 'Semi-Pro' costumes. Obviously, you want to play well when you kind of come in looking like idiots. We answered the bell, it was a great day."

Up next

The Sabres open a three-game western Canada road trip in Edmonton on Thursday. Coverage on MSG begins at 8:30 p.m. The puck drops at 9.