The holidays came and went pretty fast. With both Chanukah and Christmas gone, the NHL returns later today. Saturday’s slate will feature 13 games with 26 of 32 teams back in action. Several of the matchups include big rivalries.

The Leafs host the Senators in the Battle of Ontario. The red hot Sabres look to make it a season-high eight in a row when they face off against the Bruins. In a grudge match, the Lightning and Panthers renew acquaintances in the Battle of Florida in Sunrise. Figure that one to have the usual nastiness.

Out West, the Ducks and Kings will face off in Hollywood. In one of the best rivalries, it’ll be the sizzling Connor McDavid-led Oilers against the Flames in the Battle of Alberta. If you’re looking for a potential Western Conference Final preview, the Avalanche and Golden Knights face off in Vegas.

Of all the unique rivalries, it doesn’t get much better than the Rangers and Islanders. For over five decades, Manhattan and Long Island have battled it out. It’s like the Hatfields and the McCoys. Although the teams don’t throw em as much these days, they still hate each other. Especially in the stands. There’s no love lost between them. You either support the Rangers or the Islanders. It can never be both. The big city meets the suburbs.

For the second time this season, they’ll meet at UBS Arena at Belmont Park with a special start time of 6 PM. The Islanders dominated the first meeting by shutting out the Rangers 5-0 on Nov. 8 at Madison Square Garden. Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves to pick up the shutout. Bo Horvat scored twice and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and two assists.

It was the fifth time that the Rangers were shut out at MSG, speaking to how bad they are at home. It’s been that way the entire first half with their home record 5-10-3. However, they play much better hockey away from The Garden. The NHL’s road warriors bring a 14-6-1 mark into tonight.

In their last game before Christmas, they mounted a third period rally by scoring five unanswered goals to blow past the Capitals on Dec. 23. Taylor Raddysh and Vincent Trocheck each had a pair of goals and an assist to highlight the victory. Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 of 32 shots. Alexis Lafreniere recorded his 100th career goal along with a helper. Will Cuylle also had a power-play goal and two assists.

It’s the tale of two different Rangers’ teams. When they take on the Islanders, who will play a third consecutive game without Sorokin, who was placed on injured reserve, they’ll face backup David Rittich. A dependable goalie, who’s done well in his first season on Long Island, the 33-year-old veteran brings an 8-3-2 record into play with a 2.42 goals-against-average and .913 save percentage. In Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Devils, Rittich made 31 saves on 32 shots, including some clutch ones in the deciding third when Adam Pelech notched the game-winner with 1:15 left.

The Islanders will have Horvat fresh off IR for the game. He’s their leading scorer with 19 goals and 31 points. He also is tied with impressive 18-year-old rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer in power-play goals (5) to pace them.

The 2025 number one overall pick has been spectacular, with his 24 points (9-15-24) ranked third among NHL freshmen. Schaefer averages 23:40 of ice time per night. He’s been everything as advertised. One of the game’s best skaters, he can shift from defense to offense in lightning speed. Possessing a great shot, Schaefer must be contained.

Coming off the win over Washington, the Rangers will go with the same lineup. There hasn’t been any update on Adam Fox’s status. He is eligible to be activated off long-term injured reserve. However, with the injury likely being a separated shoulder he suffered on a Brandon Hagel hit on Nov. 29 against the Lightning, he probably won’t be back until the first week of January. Whether or not that means he’ll be available for the Winter Classic against the Panthers on Jan. 2 remains to be seen.

Without Fox, the Rangers have managed to go 6-4-2 to stay within range in the playoff race. They’ve needed to go extras in four of those wins. In fact, they’ve gone past regulation in half of the dozen games since Fox’s injury. The only two blemishes came in overtime defeats to the Avalanche and Golden Knights. It’s a credit to the roster for being able to stick together through adversity.

If they can come out with a win, they’d continue their road mastery. The Rangers are in the middle of a six-game road trip. They’ll visit the Hurricanes next on Monday before again facing the Caps in a matinee on New Year’s Eve. It concludes with the Winter Classic against the two-time defending champion Panthers in the new calendar year.

For a second straight game, Mike Sullivan has Jonny Brodzinski playing up with Trocheck and Gabe Perreault. Cuylle and Raddysh will play on the third line with Noah Laba. Brennan Othmann stays in the lineup for the third consecutive game. He’ll remain with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe on the fourth line. Othmann still must prove that he’s capable defensively. It was his blown assignment that led to the Caps’ third goal scored by Aliaksei Protas in the second period.

It looks like it’ll be a mixed bag on the power play. Hopefully, they won’t get burned on special teams. If you haven’t seen Mollie Walker’s fun interview with several Rangers on their trip to Miami, it’s worth watching.