Five intrastate/provincial rivalries headlined the NHL’s return from the holiday break as the Kings, Maple Leafs, Islanders, Flames and Lightning each skated to victories against a familiar foe.
* The Sabres continued their winning ways and captured their eighth straight victory. Overall, Buffalo improved to 12-3-2 at KeyBank Center since dropping its first two home games in regulation to start 2025-26.
* Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini each continued their calendar years to remember and propelled their clubs in high-scoring victories. Click here for the 2025 Year in Review by #NHLStats, which highlights more storylines since Jan. 1.
CLOSE RIVALRIES TAKE CENTER STAGE DURING NHL SATURDAY SHOWDOWN
The League returned from the holiday break with a rare feat as Saturday marked the first day in NHL history to feature five intrastate/provincial rivalry matchups. Overall, it was also the sixth day in League history to feature 11 or more intradivisional games (second in 2025-26, following Oct. 11: 11 of 16 GP).
* Alex Laferriere (3-0—3) netted a hat trick with the help of Anze Kopitar (0-3—3) as Los Angeles scored six goals against Anaheim en route to victory – its second-highest single-game total against its intrastate rival behind a seven a seven-goal showing exactly 30 years ago. While Laferriere netted the first hat trick by a Kings player this season, Kopitar recorded his 321st career multi-point game and tied Luc Robitaille for the second most in Kings history behind Marcel Dionne (392).
* Auston Matthews (1-2—3) factored on three of Toronto’s seven goals – tied for its most in a single game against Ottawa – and moved into a tie with Tony Amonte (416) for 10th place on the NHL’s all-time list among U.S.-born skaters. Matthews reached 40 goals in the regular season and playoffs combined for the seventh time in his career – the second most by a U.S.-born player in League history behind Joe Mullen (9x).
* Anders Lee opened the scoring 58 seconds into the contest with what proved to be the eventual winner – his 46th career game-winning goal, moving within one of tying Brock Nelson (47) for third place on the Islanders’ all-time list. David Rittich stopped all 27 shots he faced and helped the Islanders shut out the Rangers for the second time this season (also Nov. 8); 2025-26 became the second campaign in which they have blanked their intrastate rivals multiple times in the same season (also 4x in 2020-21).
* Dustin Wolf (29 saves) backstopped the Flames past Connor McDavid (1-0—1) and the Oilers in the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta, and did so in his 100th career game (49-37-11). Among goaltenders to debut with the Flames franchise, he owns third-most wins through the milestone contest behind Mike Vernon (54) and David Rittich (53).
* Nikita Kucherov scored twice to lift the Lightning to victory and joined Steven Stamkos (269-247—516 in 536 GP) as the second player to record 500 road points with the franchise (175-326—501 in 419 GP). Kucherov became the second-fastest active player to reach the benchmark behind Connor McDavid (355 GP).
* In just over a month, the Lightning will host the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series against the Bruins (Feb. 1) in the second of two outdoor games in Florida this year. The Panthers will host the state’s first outdoor contest this Friday when they take on the Rangers in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic.
* ICYMI: An #NHLStats Pack for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic is available, as is the Interactive Information Guide. An updated version of the Stats Pack will be posted Dec. 31, after the Panthers and Rangers contest their final games before the Winter Classic.
STREAKING SABRES CAPTURE EIGHTH STRAIGHT WIN
Mattias Samuelsson (1-2—3) factored on three straight second-period goals as the Sabres (19-14-4, 42 points) rallied past the Atlantic Division rival Bruins and captured their eighth straight win – the club’s longest since a franchise record-tying 10-game run in 2018-19.
* Samuelsson, whose three-point period matched the highest single-period total by a Sabres defenseman since 1990-91, sits tied for the fourth-most points among Buffalo skaters during the course of its eight-game win streak. He became the fifth defenseman with a three-point period in 2025-26 alongside Jake Sanderson (Nov. 26), Quinn Hughes (Nov. 16), Brandon Montour (Oct. 28) and Josh Morrissey (Oct. 24).
* Stifling the opposition has been key to the Sabres’ success during their eight-game stretch, allowing an NHL-best 1.88 goals against per game since Dec. 9. In fact, Buffalo has gone 12-3-2 (.765 P%) at KeyBank Center since dropping its first two home games in regulation to start 2025-26 – the second-highest home point percentage among all teams during that span, behind only Colorado (14-0-1, .967 P%).
MacKINNON, CELEBRINI CONTINUE IMPRESSIVE CALENDAR YEAR
With just a few days remaining in 2025, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini continued to collect points and added to their calendar year totals. For more players that have led the way since Jan. 1, check out the 2025 Year in Review by #NHLStats.
* MacKinnon collected 1-2—3 in the third period and added the shootout-deciding goal to help the Avalanche rally for their first multi-goal comeback win since April 13 (4-2 W at ANA). MacKinnon recorded his third calendar year with 130 points (regular season & playoffs combined), as well as his third with at least 70 regular-season assists – Peter Stastny (5x; most: 87 in 1983) is the only other Avalanche/Nordiques skater with as many.
* Celebrini (1-1—2) scored his 20th goal of the season (20-37—57 in 38 GP) and became the fastest teenager to reach the mark since Auston Matthews (36 GP in 2016-17) as the Sharks defeated his hometown Canucks. Celebrini hit 120 career points (45-75—120 in 108 GP) – 60 of which have come in the form of assists during the 2025 calendar – and became the 14th teenager in NHL history to reach the mark. Only three other active players recorded as many points as a teenager: Sidney Crosby (222), Patrik Laine (134) and Connor Bedard (128).
HUGHES HELPS WILD SKATE TO LATE COMEBACK, OVERTIME WIN
Mats Zuccarello (1-1—2) tied the game with just 22 seconds remaining in regulation and Matt Boldy (2-0—2) scored the overtime winner to help the Wild improve to 5-1-1 (11 points) since Dec. 14, when the club acquired Quinn Hughes – the NHL’s second-best record through that span behind the Sabres (6-0-0, 12 points).
* Hughes collected 0-3—3 in his seventh game with Minnesota and became the fastest defenseman to record their first three-assist performance from the start of their tenure with the franchise, besting the mark set by Brad Bombardir (13 GP in 2000-01). Only two active blueliners have recorded a three-assist outing in fewer games with a franchise: Henri Jokiharju (3 GP w/ CHI) and Pierre-Olivier Joseph (5 GP w/ PIT).
#NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES RETURNS FROM THE HOLIDAY BREAK
The League’s return from the holiday break saw several teams and players put up impressive performances, including Brandon Bussi, Alex Ovechkin and Louis Crevier. For more notes from the 13-game slate, check out the latest of edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
* Bussi extended his point streak to 11 games (10-0-1) as the Hurricanes (23-11-3, 49 points) defeated the Red Wings (22-14-3, 47 points) to go two points up on them for first place in the Eastern Conference standings. Bussi eclipsed Cam Ward (10 GP in 2017-18, 2015-16 & 2008-09) and Pyotr Kochetkov (10 GP in 2022-23) for the second-longest point streak in Hurricanes/Whalers history behind only Antti Raanta (13 GP in 2022-23).
* Alex Ovechkin (1-1—2) extended his NHL benchmark for game-tying goals (152) and third-period goals (342) and set the stage for Jakob Chychrun’s game winner in overtime. Ovechkin continues THE GR8 CHASE for Victory Over Cancer with the Capitals, Hockey Fights Cancer and V Foundation by personally donating to pediatric cancer research for each regular-season goal he scores for the remainder of his career. Click here for details.
* The Stars scored a tying goal in each of the first two periods but Tyler Bertuzzi (2-0—2) helped the Blackhawks draw even in the third period before Chicago captured a shootout victory and ended a four-game winless streak at American Airlines Arena dating to Dec. 29, 2023. The contest also featured a 100.48 mph shot by Louis Crevier – his third shot of 100+ mph in 2025-26.
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QUICK CLICKS
* Packers’ Christian Watson, Lukas Van Ness rock Lightning, Canadiens jerseys at Lambeau Field
* 104-year-old WWII veteran rocks US national anthem
* J.J. Moser signs 8-year, $54 million contract with Lightning
* Jonathan Quick fondly remembers first outdoor game
EASTERN CONFERENCE DIVISIONAL MATCHUPS COMPRISE SUNDAY SLATE
A trio of divisional matchups in the Eastern Conference headline a five-game Sunday when the Canadiens (20-12-5, 45 points) and Lightning (21-13-3, 45 points) meet at Benchmark International Arena, the Islanders (21-13-4, 46 points) and Blue Jackets (15-15-6, 36 points) clash at Nationwide Arena while the Maple Leafs (17-15-5, 39 points) and Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings (22-14-3, 47 points) meet in an Original Six showdown.
* Lane Hutson collected 0-3—3 in Montreal’s final contest before the holiday break and has collected multiple assists in a single game five times during the month of December. Overall, Hutson has collected 9-71—80 (87 GP) this calendar year in the regular season and playoffs combined and needs one more assist to overtake J.C. Tremblay (71 in 1971) for the most by a Canadiens defenseman in that scenario.
* Matthew Schaefer (9-15—24 in 38 GP) and the Islanders complete a weekend back-to-back and set of three straight games against a Metropolitan Division opponent. Schaefer, who scored twice against the Blue Jackets already this season (2-0—2 on Nov. 2), sits one goal shy of becoming the third 18-year-old defenseman with 10 in a single season. He would join Phil Housley (17 in 1982-83) and Bobby Orr (13 in 1966-67).
ICYMI: NHL Podcast Weekly Roundup
* NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers (Dec. 25): A Very Unscripted Christmas: Struggling Leafs, Surprising Sabres and Handing Out Some Christmas Gifts
* NHL @TheRink (Dec. 24): Amalie Benjamin joins; McDavid’s Streak, FLA Surges into Winter Classic, TOR, BUF, DET, NSH, McKenna at World Juniors
* NHL Draft Class (Dec. 23): Steven Ellis, DailyFaceoff.com; World Junior Championship preview
* NHL Längs Sargen (Dec. 22): OS, Jesper Boqvist och Winter Classic
* La Tasse de Café LNH (Dec. 22): Aperçu du Championnat mondial junior 2026
* NHL Fantasy on Ice (Dec. 22): Jack Hughes returns; Week 12 pickups
* 100% Hockey with Millard & Shannon (Dec. 22): The State of The NHL – Avalanche and Stars Surge While Leafs & Jets Struggle
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