“One makes a lot of money, one doesn’t": HC Travis Green reveals simple metric in differentiating between Nick Cousins & $49.7M Senators forward

The Ottawa Senators must have issues calling out for either Nick Cousins or Dylan Cozens when the two take the ice. Their head coach, Travis Green, has come up with a way to differentiate between the two.

Green was asked the question by reporters at the rink ahead of their preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. He had a hilarious straight-face reply saying:

"One makes a lot of money, one doesn't. That's one way."

Nick Cousins is signed to a one-year $825,000 contract by the Senators and plays on the fourth line. Last season, he averaged 11:54 minutes of ice time from 50 games and scored 15 points.

On the other hand, Dylan Cozens is one of their star centers, who is in the third year of a $49.7 million contract that he was signed to by the Buffalo Sabres before they traded him ahead of the deadline in March. He has scored 16 points in 21 regular-season games for the Sens so far. As per Cozens, speaking in an exclusive with The Athletic, he realizes the price tag attached to his name.

“Obviously, there’s pressure,” Cozens said. “I had a really good season a couple of seasons ago. And since then, I’ve struggled a bit. I think just being in this environment is going to help me a lot. "I can’t look back at (my time in Buffalo). I’ve just got to go out there and trust my abilities. Because I know I’m a good player, and I know I can produce in this league. And I think being here will help me a lot.”

Travis Green satisfied with Senators' win over the Leafs

Both Nick Cousins and Dylan Cozens featured for the Senators as they beat the Leafs 3-2 in overtime. Cozens assisted and had three shots on goal, while Cousins managed two shots. Travis Green was impressed with his team's efforts rebounding from a 4-3 loss against the same opponents on Sunday.

"Yeah, real good game," Green said. (1:12 onwards) "I thought right from the drop of the puck to the end. Much better team game tonight than the game at home. Obviously, Toronto had a better lineup tonight. "And we had a lot of good efforts. I like the way we committed to playing on both sides of the puck. I thought we had some good looks in the first period, could have easily scored, and obviously pushed in the third.

Green would hope that his team continues to remain a strong contender for the Stanley Cup. They reached the playoffs last year, but had to exit early in the first round.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.