> Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen are the Buffalo Sabres prospects who have garnered the most attention as rookies in Rochester this season because of their status as first-round draft picks and their tantalizing skill sets. Quietly, Kozak emerged as another development success story for the Amerks, who open their best-of-five North Division finals playoff series Thursday night in Toronto against the Marlies.
> Kozak doesn’t have the counting stats of those skilled forwards. He finished the regular season with only five goals and 10 points in 55 games, but his surging confidence was on display from the outset in Rochester’s series-clinching win Saturday night in Syracuse. Kozak, a seventh-round draft pick of the Sabres in 2021, scored the opening goal by getting to the front of the net to finish a pass from Rosen and blocked several shots during the Crunch’s push in the third period of the overtime victory.
> **“As good as Rosen and Kulich are in in the offensive part of their game, Kozy is as good in his defensive game,” boasted Amerks coach Seth Appert. “And for him to be one of our best penalty killers and one of our best defensive players and most physical players as a 19-, 20-year-old in this league is incredibly impressive.”**
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> Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen are the Buffalo Sabres prospects who have garnered the most attention as rookies in Rochester this season because of their status as first-round draft picks and their tantalizing skill sets. Quietly, Kozak emerged as another development success story for the Amerks, who open their best-of-five North Division finals playoff series Thursday night in Toronto against the Marlies.
> Kozak doesn’t have the counting stats of those skilled forwards. He finished the regular season with only five goals and 10 points in 55 games, but his surging confidence was on display from the outset in Rochester’s series-clinching win Saturday night in Syracuse. Kozak, a seventh-round draft pick of the Sabres in 2021, scored the opening goal by getting to the front of the net to finish a pass from Rosen and blocked several shots during the Crunch’s push in the third period of the overtime victory.
> **“As good as Rosen and Kulich are in in the offensive part of their game, Kozy is as good in his defensive game,” boasted Amerks coach Seth Appert. “And for him to be one of our best penalty killers and one of our best defensive players and most physical players as a 19-, 20-year-old in this league is incredibly impressive.”**