Anders Lee scored twice and had two assists, and David Rittich made 31 saves as the New York Islanders beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2

Islanders forward Bo Horvat, who leads the team with 19 goals this season, left at 13:08 of the second period with a lower-body injury. His left leg got tangled up with the skate of Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, causing him to go down awkwardly.

After 13 years as a Ranger, franchise legend Chris Kreider returns to Madison Square Garden with a healthy body, healthy mind and a rising start to his tenure with Anaheim. However, New York City will always be "home.

Islanders leading scorer Bo Horvat suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday night's win against the Ducks and is day-to-day.

Anders Lee sports four-point night (2G, 2A) including game-winner, Travis Mitchell scores first NHL goal

Sitting six games above NHL .500, the Isles are in the thick of the Metropolitan Division race and have the look of a playoff team as we head towards the holidays. Perhaps most encouraging is the fact that the Islanders are sitting in a good spot despite playing the toughest schedule in the NHL this season.

Welcome back to another edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey examine the schedule and provide game-level analysis rooted in form, structure, and data.

On Tuesday night, the New York Islanders and Anaheim Ducks each helped bolster the other's surprising early-season surge.