Dylan Cozens regrets massive brawl with Garnet Hathaway, leaving him with a probable broken nose

Dylan Cozens returned to practice for the first time on Wednesday after missing two games due to an injury sustained during the Buffalo Sabres' 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last Friday.

The 22-year-old forward recently addressed the media with a bandage on his possibly broken nose and a purple bruise under his left eye. He suggested that he regretted dropping gloves against the Flyers' Garnet Hathaway in the contest.

Cozens and Hathaway dropped the gloves during the dying minutes of the third period in Friday's contest. Both players traded some heavy blows to each other's faces. However, it was 31-year-old Hathaway whose punches did most of the damage, leaving Cozens with the task of repairing his face.

Hathaway's final punch, a right-hand jab to Cozens' face, appeared to have the most impact on the Sabres player's face, particularly his nose. Dylan Cozens told the media that it was his frustration that drove him to pursue Hathaway.

He said that the situation, however, escalated faster than Cozens anticipated, catching him off guard while preparing him to face a player like Hathaway.

"The situation probably didn’t call for it there," Cozens said (via NHL.com). "I let my frustration get the best of me. I kind of went after him and it escalated a lot quicker than I had prepared myself for. I think I need to know who I’m going up against and be a little smarter next time, for sure."

Cozens practiced in a yellow non-contact jersey. He expects to be fully recovered when the Buffalo Sabres take on the Minnesota Wild on Friday. According to Hockey Fights, it was Cozens' fifth career fight, compared to Hathaway's 36th.

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How has Dylan Cozens fared for the Buffalo Sabres this season?

Buffalo Sabres v Philadelphia Flyers

Dylan Cozens is one of the key players for the Sabres' young core up front. He was drafted No. 7 overall by Buffalo in the 2019 draft and has remained with the same franchise since.

This is his fourth season in the NHL, and Cozens has played 11 games so far, notching up seven points through three goals and four assists. Last season, he was the fifth-leading scorer for the Sabres with 68 points, accumulated through 31 goals and 37 assists. This was also a career-high season for the 22-year-old.

In total, he's played 212 games and has racked up 126 points on 51 goals and 75 assists.