Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Bruins 

The Buffalo Sabres have returned from their three-day holiday break and will host the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center on Wednesday to open a two-game homestand.

The Sabres and Bruins will meet for the third and final time this season after Buffalo defeated Boston 3-1 in their last meeting in Boston on Dec. 7.

Sabres coach Don Granato believes his team set the pace in the previous matchup between the two teams and will need to do so again tonight to find success.

“We need to play our game every night and I think when you do, you can kind of set the pace,” Granato said. “You know, if we’re on our game, we’re the ones setting the pace. I felt we did that very well. You know very well you’re not going to dominate 60-full minutes against anybody, let alone the top teams in the league. But we need to establish our pace, our style of game. Usually, the team that is able to do that feels good about things. We had good jump and good legs that night and it worked out well.”

WinterFest continues at KeyBank Center with Holiday Rewind night. The first 10,000 fans in attendance for the game will receive a unique holiday-themed poster.

Tickets are available here.

For more information on the night, click here. 

The game will be exclusively televised on TNT at 7:30 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

Here are five things to know before puck drop.

1. Lineup updates

Zemgus Girgensons will not suit up against the Bruins but is “very, very close” to a return to the lineup, Granato said. 

Girgensons has missed the last 15 games with a lower-body injury he sustained against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 24.

“He looks ready,” Granato said. “We’ll have another conversation. When I say that—just having three days off—not ideal to put him in tonight, unfortunately. If had we practiced, I think the last three days, he would probably be good to go.”

Granato also shared defenseman Henri Jokiharju will not be in the lineup Wednesday after serving as a healthy scratch for the Sabres in their last two games.

2. In the crease

Devon Levi was the first goaltender off the ice and is expected to make his 15th start of the season against the Bruins, on his 22nd birthday.

Levi has posted a 4-0-1 record in his last five starts, stopping 152 of 166 shots in that span.

3. Last time out

The Sabres erased two deficits to force overtime in a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday before they kicked off their holiday break.

Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn, and Casey Mittelstadt scored to help Buffalo secure a point in the loss.

The Sabres have now earned points in consecutive games following a 9-3 win over Toronto on Thursday.

4. Quinn’s impact

Quinn has tallied two goals in three games since his return to the Sabres’ lineup. The 22-year-old made his season debut on Dec. 19 after undergoing offseason surgery to repair an injured Achilles tendon.

Following morning skate, Granato emphasized the importance of Quinn’s role in the lineup.

“He’s very good on the penalty kill, very good on the power play, and he really gives us depth now,” Granato said. “Cozens and Peterka have such chemistry with Jack and that is something we didn’t have—that depth. You know, you now have three-line depth that can score and that now allows you to have a scoring line against a third-pairing D in the NHL, and that is enormous if you want to be successful in this league.

“… That changes the dynamic of everything for us and the team that’s playing against us. But very intelligent player, makes others better, and plays in all situations.”

5. Scouting the Bruins

The Bruins are winless in their last four games and 4-3-3 in their last 10 contests, but still sit atop the Atlantic Division standings with a 19-7-6 record.

David Pastrnak leads the team with 44 points (20+24) in 32 games, which is tied for fifth in the NHL.

Jeremy Swayman, who enters Wednesday's game with a 9-2-4 record and a .928 save percentage in 16 appearances, is expected to start in goal for the Bruins.