* Tonight concludes the sixth set of back-to-back games for the Penguins. This season, the team is 4-7-0 in back-to-backs, which includes a 3-2-0 record in the second half of the games.
* Pittsburgh has points in seven of nine games when Blake Lizotte is in the lineup (5-2-2).
* Kris Letang has 19 points (4G-15A) in 23 career games versus Calgary, which is his second-highest point total versus any Western Conference team.
* Sidney Crosby has 27 points (13G-14A) in 22 career games against the Flames. Here at home, he has 15 points (8G-7A) in 10 games played versus them. He has been held without a point just twice in those 10 games.
He found the scoresheet yet again on Friday night against Boston, picking up an assist to extend his point streak to three games (1G-3A) and give him points in seven of his last eight games (2G-6A). Crosby has registered 1,020 assists in his illustrious career, which is just three shy of tying Gordie Howe for the fifth-most assists with a franchise in NHL history.
He enters tonight’s game one multi-point performance back of tying Steve Yzerman (477) for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time multi-point games list.
* Erik Karlsson has 23 points (4G-19A) in 29 career games against the Flames, which includes 13 points (2G-11A) in his last 14 games against them.
The defenseman has played some of his best hockey in the month of November. Karlsson leads all team defensemen and ranks second on Pittsburgh with nine points (1G-8A) in 13 games this month. Throughout his career, Karlsson has recorded the most points during November, and his 0.84 points-per-game average this month is his second highest among any month during his career (0.87 in February).
* Rickard Rakell got Pittsburgh on the board last night against the Boston Bruins, registering his team-leading ninth goal of the season. The tally gives Rakell goals in back-to-back games, and with a goal tonight he can tie his season-long goal streak of three games set from Oct. 12-16 (3G).
Rakell, who is vying for a spot on Team Sweden’s roster in the Four Nations Face-Off, is tied for fourth in the NHL in goals among Swedish-born players.
* Bryan Rust enters tonight’s game two points shy of tying Mark Recchi for 16th place on the franchise’s all-time points list. Eight (5G-3A) of Rust’s 11 points this season have come at home. His 0.89 points-per-game average at home is second on Pittsburgh.
