When he returned to the Islanders lineup nearly two weeks ago for the first time since the second game of the season, the assumption was it would be temporary.

The decade-long thaw between the Islanders and Pat LaFontaine came to a happy and emotional end Saturday.

The Lightning will be very glad they don’t have to face Ilya Sorokin again this season.

That night against the Rangers will have been circled on the calendar not just for Kreider but also for Jacob Trouba, who also will face the Blueshirts for the first time since he was dealt in the middle of last season.

The Islanders will play with a chance to move into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference Saturday, but may have to do it without Bo Horvat.

The Wolverines AD has long since lost the benefit of the doubt and should be unceremoniously dismissed as soon as possible.

The Islanders are a flawed hockey team, but they are winning games in a conference where no one really looks like a traditional Stanley Cup contender.

Forget Christmas. Jean-Gabriel Pageau was back well in time for Hanukkah. 

This was exactly the offensive outburst the Islanders needed, at the exact time they needed it. 

Just over a month ago, Casey Cizikas was in the middle of one of the worst stretches of his career. He knew how bad things were, which was part of the problem. 

Ilya Sorokin was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday, and deservedly so after he had an otherworldly .960 save percentage through three wins over Tampa, Colorado and Tampa.