The Buffalo Sabres snapped a winless skid earlier this week and prepare to face a division archrival to close out 2016. However, they've lost the services of Ryan O'Reilly, who is out following a medical emergency. Meanwhile, the World Junior Hockey tournament is happening across the border, and there's a Western New York connection. Bill Hoppe has more in this week's edition of Behind the Bench:
You can read Bill Hoppe's work at his Buffalo Hockey Beat blog. Follow him on Twitter at @BillHoppeNHL.