BUFFALO — More than a year into COVID-19 interruptions, the Bruins dealt Thursday with more pandemic-related headaches when a pair of positive tests for the virus —one of them initially an unidentified Bruins player — led to the cancellation of their customary morning-of-game workout here at KeyBank Arena.
Late in the afternoon, the Bruins announced that it was center Sean Kuraly who tested positive.
Only minutes prior to the Bruins notifying media of their sidelined player in the morning, the Sabres announced that an unidentified member of their staff also entered the NHL’s COVID-related protocols, leading them also to scratch their practice.
Nonethelss, despite concerns that their game risked being postponed, both clubs made it to the rink on time and faced off, as planned, at 7:08 p.m.
Greg McKegg, an off-season free-agent pickup, slotted into the lineup in Kuraly’s absence.
The Bruins also suited up Jack Ahcan, a free agent signee out of St. Cloud State last spring, to fill the void on the backline created by Tuesday’s loss of Jarred Tinordi. It was Ahcan’s NHL debut.
Absent any twists and turns in the plot, the two clubs will wrap up the two-game set here Saturday, in what remains on the books for a 1:08 p.m. faceoff.
Coach Bruce Cassidy said Tinordi will remain sidelined through at least Saturday’s matinee. It’s possible, added Cassidy, that Kuraly, if following testing were to prove negative, could be eligible as soon as Saturday’s game.
In a trying season that has led to games frequently being rescheduled across the league because of positive COVID-19 tests, and in some cases franchise shutdowns, the Bruins thus far have been relatively unscathed.
Only two Boston players, forwards Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk, have been forced to miss a game due to a COVID-positive test, and each of them immediately returned to action when tests the next day proved to be a false positive. Unlike the Sabres, Devils and Stars, each experiencing a high number of positive tests earlier this season, the Bruins never have had to put a lock on their training facility.
An increased number of positive tests around the league, if leading to further postponements, could mean that not all 31 NHL teams will have a chance to complete their respective 56-game schedules.
The NHL is committed to ending regular-season play on Saturday May 8 and then commencing its customary 16-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament three days later. If all teams are not able to complete their regular-season schedules, it is expected that playoff qualification, and divisional seeding, will be determined by points percentage, if necessary.
For instance, the Bruins on Thursday morning held a 15-8-4 record, translating to 34 points in the standings and a .630 points percentage, having collected 34 of a possible 54 points. Based on points or points percentage, they would finish fourth in the East Division, and would be paired against the Caps in a best-of-seven first round of the playoffs.
As of Thursday morning, none of the 16 teams in possession of a playoff seed, based on points, would have been knocked out of playoff position by a team boasting a better points percentage.
The first two rounds of this year’s playoffs will determine a divisional champion, which in turn will face the other champ in its conference to determine one of the Cup semifinalists. Seedings in both the Cup semi and final will be based on the final regular season standings.
The Bruins on Thursday played in their 28th game, completing the first half of their projected 56-game load. Beginning with Saturday’s scheduled game here, they are scheduled to play the remaining 28 games over a stretch of only 50 days, a torrid pace averaging one game every 1.79 days, or one game every 43 hours.
A new boss behind bench
The Sabres, losers of 12 straight and yet again rendered DNQ detritus, played their first game under interim coach Don Granato, who was named Wednesday to replace Ralph Krueger.
The Sabres were a league-worst 16-8-4 when ownership finally pulled the plug on the affable Krueger.
Granato, 53, is the brother of the better known Tony Granato, the ex-NHL forward, and Cammi Granato, the former gold medalist with the US women’s Olympic hockey team.
Cammi and her US sisters won the gold at the ’98 Games in Nagano, Japan. She is now a scout with the expansion Seattle Kraken, who will begin to fill in their inaugural roster with the league’s expansion draft on July 21.
Tony Granato, 56, a former Wisconsin Badger, is now in his fifth season as coach of his alma mater’s men’s team. Bruins rookie Trent Frederic played for two seasons under Granato’s tutelage in Madison, Wisc., before turning pro in the spring of ’18.
“We didn’t get a job done,” Sabres winger Taylor Hall said in pre-game zoom presser. “I didn’t get a job done for him, and unfortunately he’s out of the building now.”
A rout recalled
The Rangers on Wednesday night dealt the Flyers a humiliating 9-0 shellacking and connected for all nine strikes by the second intermission.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time an NHL club rolled up a 9-0 lead within the first 40 minutes since Jan. 11, 2003, when the Washington Caps hammered the Florida Panthers en route to a 12-2 win.
The coach behind the Caps bench that night: Bruce Cassidy.
“It was a home game, yes, I remember it now,” said Cassidy, whose memory had to be jogged at first. “[Jaromir] Jagr had big numbers. . . an opportunity for something that night, and he actually pumped the brakes on it. I think he took the whole third period off.”
The Panthers coach that night: Iron Mike Keenan, who was behind the Boston bench for 74 games in 2000-2001, in the wake of Pat Burns’ dismissal.Keenan was Chicago’s head coach when Cassidy, a first-round prospect, was trying to make the Hawks roster.
“Was he?!” said Cassidy, when reminded Keenan was the other coach. “Looks good on him for sending down all those years.”
Roberto Luongo and Jani Hurme shared the pain in the Panthers net. Jagr rolled up a 3-4—7 line before exiting. Jason Doig provided the 9-0 marker with 16:15 gone in the second period —one of only six goals he scored in 158 career NHL games.
Jagr’s NHL resume includes 766 goals. Thus far.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.