Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been placed on injured reserve due to an undisclosed ailment. The six-time All-Star was injured during a 6-3 road loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday and was scratched the next day for a 3-2 home win against the Islanders.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (17-16-5) have won 10 of their last 15 games and have points in 11 of them. The team even briefly occupied a playoff spot after a win on Sunday. The new commitment to defense and structure will get a solid test against the Detroit Red Wings (14-18-4) at Little Caesars Arena Tuesday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Penguins' Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux's franchise record for assists at 1,034. The Penguins stand at 17-16-5;

Brock Nelson and Anders Lee are not the most dangerous duo the Pittsburgh Penguins have had to face when playing the New York Islanders. There was, after all, a time when New York coach Al Arbour could send two future Hockey Hall of Famers — center Bryan Trottier and right winger Mike Bossy — over the boards against them.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (17-16-5) exacted revenge and downed the New York Islanders (14-16-7) 3-2 Sunday evening in PPG Paints Arena. Once again, the Islanders’ special teams absolutely let them down.

The Penguins went into the holiday break on a 9-3-1 run and returned feeling refreshed after a few days away and ready to keep their momentum rolling. Instead, it came to a halt on Saturday against the Islanders,

The Penguins have been playing well lately, but with some tough games coming up in their schedule, now is the time to prove themselves.

A showdown in the Metropolitan Division showcases the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders. Welcome back to NHL Predictions here on Last Word on Hockey!

Anthony Beauvillier - a former Islander - opened the scoring for Pittsburgh off a nice feed from Bunting early in the first period for his ninth of the season. Bunting scored his power play goal in the second period, and Evgeni Malkin added another power play tally for Pittsburgh in the third period.

In the Maple Leafs vs Islanders matchup, Mitch Marner's power play points prop is the best bet to target in the New Year's Eve showdown.