Sharpen Up: March 19, 2021 | A look back at Hockey Fights Cancer Night

The Buffalo Sabres will have their first practice today under interim head coach Don Granato. Then they'll face the Boston Bruins again Saturday afternoon. Faceoff is at 1 p.m. on MSG and WGR 550. Pregame coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. on MSG.
Boston took Game 1 of the back-to-back set by a 4-1 score. It marked the first game between the two clubs this season. Buffalo is now winless over its last 13 games with a record of 0-11-2.
We have a full recap of the game - and the crazy hours that preceded it - here in Sharpen Up, as well as some highlights of Hockey Fights Cancer Night, which was presented in partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
We'll also have full coverage of practice today on Sabres.com, our social media channels and the new Sabres app.
Here's what you need to know.

Last night's game

Granato's first day as interim head coach certainly did not start according to plan. After a member of the team's hockey staff entered the league's COVID Protocol yesterday morning, the team had to cancel its morning skate. Not long after, the Bruins announced that one of their players, Sean Kurely, had entered COVID protocol as well.
At around 1:30 p.m., it was announced that after further testing and contact tracing, the game would go on as scheduled.
The Sabres did not have their first meeting in the wake of head coach Ralph Krueger being relieved of his head coaching duties until 5 p.m. That meeting was Granato's first opportunity to try and instill his message for how he wants to see the team shape its identity.

"There was no time to really make changes," alternate captain Kyle Okposo said. "We had a longer meeting before the game but we just tried to go out there and work and play with our instincts. … It was a tough one. Obviously, the circumstances were a bit unique today but the result was the same. It's not OK."

Granato laid out simple terms for what he hopes to see from the Sabres moving forward.
"More pace," he said after the game. "More pace, simple. I felt today we established at least within our own game a decent pace and we didn't sustain it.
"… Now you look into that and say, 'OK, how can we sustain it?' It might be better puck management. Did we mismanage pucks tonight that cost us more energy in getting them back? When you mismanage the puck, you put yourself in a bad position and you expend more energy to recover. They all tie in."

Okposo scored the lone Sabres goal shorthanded, erasing a 1-0 deficit early in the second period, but the Bruins responded with unanswered goals from Jake DeBrusk, Craig Smith, and David Pastrnak. Shots were in the Bruins' favor, 37-24.
"The bottom line is we need to go forward," Granato said. "We need to demand more, obviously, push harder, all of us - coaches, players, everybody. And practice is another opportunity to do just those things."
Check out more in our Postgame Report.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night rewind

The team celebrated Hockey Fights Cancer Night in partnership with Roswell Park with events throughout the evening. Frontline workers in attendance became the first fans this season to watch the team live at KeyBank Center this season.
Here are some of the highlights:

For fans attending tomorrow's game

Saturday will mark the second Sabres home game this season with fans in attendance.
For a full checklist of entry procedures and requirements for the games, please visit Sabres.com/FansReturn.
Each fan who attends a game this season will need to produce a negative molecular PCR test result from a test taken within 72 hours of the game.
The Sabres have also teamed up with CLEAR to use their Health Pass technology for COVID-19 screening of fans. Health Pass is a free, mobile experience by CLEAR, which securely connects a person's verified identity to multiple layers of COVID-19 related insights to reduce public health risk and get people back to what they know and love.
Fans will need to download the CLEAR app and verify their identity and will then be able to securely link their COVID-19 test results to the app. The day of the game, fans will open Health Pass on their CLEAR app, verify their identity with a selfie, and answer a health questionnaire on the app. Users who have a negative test result and pass the health questionnaire will receive a green notification on the app, which they will show as they enter KeyBank Center for the game.
Additional information for fans attending Sabres games this season can also be found at Sabres.com/FAQ.