The New York derby was the first game to be played when the NHL returned after the Christmas break. New York Islanders' Simon Holmström celebrated by punctuating the game against the Rangers with his 2-0 goal.
The more than 17,000 spectators in the UBS Arena did not have to wait long for the first goal after Christmas.
Less than a minute into the game, Mathew Barzal stole the puck and on the rebound from his shot, Anders Lee was able to give the Islanders the lead.
The wait for the second goal became even longer. Holmström's goal came when he sent the puck into an open goal at 19:43 of the third period.
In the Florida derby between Tampa Bay and Florida, Pontus Holmberg scored the 2–1 goal as Tampa Bay won 4–2.
A match was also played in California between two teams from the same state. However, there was no Swedish involvement in the scoring as Los Angeles crushed Anaheim 6–1.
