The Sabres previously experienced a 15-day pause in February after hosting the Devils on Jan. 31. The Devils had six players marked as COVID-related absences entering that game. The Sabres had nine players enter COVID protocol over the ensuing week, eight of whom tested positive.
Granato admitted the experience in February was on his mind after receiving word of the Bruins' positive tests.
"We don't have a lot of information yet, so that still goes through your mind," Granato said. "It puts you in a wait-and-see and nobody likes that. It is challenging."
Dylan Cozens was one of the eight players who tested positive during the February outbreak, though he was mostly asymptomatic. He echoed Granato in expressing concern among Sabres players.
"From what I think, I don't see how it's really much of a different situation that what happened with New Jersey," Cozens said. "So, there is definitely some nerves in the room. Like, we don't want to get shut down again. That was not fun to have to quarantine and go through. I mean, we're just hoping that it didn't transmit to any of us. But we're just kind of taking it day by day right now."
The cancellation on Saturday is the latest twist in a season that was never going to be easy. Strict protocols limit interaction off the ice and confine players to their hotel rooms and outdoor walks on the road. Some players, like veteran forward Eric Staal, traveled to Buffalo without their families.
The Sabres had played to a .500 points percentage prior to its two-week hiatus at 4-4-2. They are 2-15-2 since returning from the two-week break and have since lost captain Jack Eichel, defenseman Jake McCabe, and starting goaltender Linus Ullmark to injuries.
"This whole season, this year in itself, has been so weird and different and unique," Staal said following the game on Thursday. "There's so many things behind the scenes that everybody's dealing with no a day-to-day basis."
Granato said a decision regarding a potential practice on Saturday had not yet been made as of Friday afternoon. Buffalo's next scheduled game is against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
