Rangers-Flyers starts busy Saturday

While shoppers rush around on the last weekend before Christmas, hockey fans have a full day of action awaiting them, with 11 games on the schedule.

The pucks start flying at 1 p.m. ET, when the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers renew hostilities at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers own the NHL's best record and have already beaten Pittsburgh and Montreal this week. The Rangers own a League-high 12 road wins this season and are coming off a 4-3 home shootout win against Phoenix on Tuesday.

After the Rangers and Flyers square off, there's a lull until the action picks up with six games scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

The most intriguing may be in Boston, where the Bruins come home after a 4-3 loss at Montreal on Thursday to host Washington. The Caps have dropped seven in a row, though they did get a point in their last game, a 2-1 overtime loss to Anaheim on Wednesday. The game can be seen on RDS in Canada.

Phoenix completes its tour of the New York metropolitan area with a visit to Long Island, where the Islanders are coming off a rare victory -- 3-2 against Anaheim on Thursday. The Ducks have moved on to Carolina, where the 'Canes are back home after Thursday's 3-2 shootout victory at Atlanta.

The Thrashers will try to bounce back from that loss when they host New Jersey. Also in the mood to bounce back are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who return home to host Dallas after an 0-1-2 swing through Western Canada that ended with a 6-3 loss at Edmonton on Thursday.

It's early call for hockey fans in Vancouver, where the Toronto Maple Leafs make their yearly visit in a game that starts at 7 in the East but 4 p.m. local time. The Canucks have had two days off since a 3-2 OT win against Columbus on Wednesday, while the Leafs were routed 5-2 at Calgary one night later. The game can be seen on the NHL Network in the United States and as part of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada north of the border.

A half-hour later, Buffalo finishes a two-game swing through Florida with a stop in Tampa Bay. The Bolts have been off since Wednesday's 2-1 shootout win against Atlanta.

At 8 p.m. ET, San Jose, a 4-3 overtime winner at Dallas on Thursday, moves on to St. Louis, where the Blues beat Los Angeles 6-4 on Thursday. The Kings continue their trip through the Midwest at Nashville, also at 8.

In the final game of the night, Minnesota visits Calgary in the opener of a home-and-home series that's the second half of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader. The Wild are coming off a 3-1 home loss to Ottawa on Thursday.