NY Islanders return from Holiday break with rivalry home matchup against Blueshirts

The New York Islanders return from the NHL’s holiday break with a rivalry matchup, hosting the New York Rangers on Saturday night at UBS Arena.

The Islanders entered the break on a positive note, snapping a three-game skid with a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Defenseman Adam Pelech scored the go-ahead goal with 1:15 remaining, while Simon Holmstrom tied the game earlier in the second period. Goaltender David Rittich made 31 saves to earn his eighth win of the season.

The Rangers also closed out the pre-break schedule with momentum, rallying past Washington with five unanswered goals in the third period. Taylor Raddysh, Vincent Trocheck, Will Cuylle, Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière all contributed as New York erased a one-goal deficit in the final period. Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots in the win.

The Islanders will again be without starting goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who was placed on injured reserve Saturday morning with a lower-body injury retroactive to Dec. 20. Sorokin is eligible to return as soon as Sunday, but Rittich is expected to make his third consecutive start. He is 2-0-1 over his last three games, allowing five goals on 97 shots.

There was encouraging news up front for the Islanders, as Bo Horvat skated in a regular jersey at morning practice, signaling a possible return after missing four games with a lower-body injury. Horvat leads the Islanders with 19 goals and 31 points. With Horvat returning, Anthony Duclair is a healthy scratch along with Max Tysplakov and Adam Boqvist. Long Island native Marshall Warren stays in the lineup for his first Isles-Rangers game.

The matchup marks the latest chapter in one of the league’s longest-running rivalries, with both teams looking to build early momentum as the schedule resumes. Face-off is set for 6:00 PM.