QUICK HITS
1) Kris Letang has 10 points (1G-9A) over his last 14 games played and is two points shy of hitting the 20-point plateau for the 18th time in his career. He would become just the 15th defenseman in NHL history with 18 or more 20-point seasons.
2) The Penguins are ranked third in the NHL in power-play percentage (29.3%).
3) Bryan Rust has 12 points (7G-5A) in 13 career games against Chicago. He has points in four-consecutive games against them (2G-3A).
4) Erik Karlsson has points in five of his last eight games against Chicago (3G-4A) and has 18 points (3G-15A) in 25 career games against the Blackhawks.
5) Defenseman Brett Kulak is one assist shy of reaching 100 career assists. He would be the 21st defenseman and 41st overall player from the 2012 NHL Draft to reach the mark.
TRUSTY RUSTY
Forward Bryan Rust notched a goal on Tuesday against Toronto, giving him points in back-to-back games (1G-1A). The goal was Rust’s 30th point of the season (13G-17A), and his goal and point total both rank second on the Penguins.
Rust has now hit the 30-point plateau for the ninth-straight season. Only seven players in franchise history have accomplished this feat more with Pittsburgh.
ROAD WARRIOR
This game marks Pittsburgh’s final road game of the 2025 calendar year. Leading the way for Pittsburgh has been none other than captain Sidney Crosby, who’s recorded 40 points (22G-18A) in 38 road games in 2025. Only two players have scored more goals on the road in 2025 than Crosby.
He also enters this game one point shy of tying Gordie Howe for the 9th-most road points in NHL history.
GOALS GALORE
Sidney Crosby enters this game tied for seventh in the NHL in goals after reaching the 20-goal plateau for the 18th time in his career. Eight of his 20 goals have come on the power play, which is tied for sixth in the NHL.
POINT PRODUCIN’
Defenseman Erik Karlsson has points in six of his last nine games (2G-6A) and has 11 points (2G-9A) in 12 games in the month of December. Only six defensemen have more points than him this month.
WJC UPDATE
Penguins prospects Harrison Brunicke (Team Canada) and Will Horcoff (Team USA) were each selected to their respective national junior teams for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Brunicke, 19, has appeared in nine games for Pittsburgh in 2025-26, recording one goal and averaging 15:43 minutes of time-on-ice per game. He’s also suited up for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, where he notched four assists and was plus-2 in five games. Thus far, Team Canada has gone 1-0-0 and Brunicke is plus-3, averaging 19:44 minutes.
Horcoff, 18, leads the entire nation this season with a career-high 19 goals and has 28 points through 20 games with the University of Michigan. The reigning NCA Forward of the Month began his sophomore season with a hat trick in the season-opening game and has scored six game-winning goals to help Michigan become the No. 1 ranked team in the NCAA. Over the past two seasons in Michigan, the 6-foot-5, 203-pound Horcoff has compiled 23 goals, 15 assists and 38 points in 38 collegiate games. Horcoff and Team USA have gone 1-0-0 and he’s recorded one goal on five shots in 16:00 minutes of action.
Karlsson has recorded 896 points (203G-693A) in 1,120 career games. His next point will help him surpass Brad Park for the 14th-most points by a defenseman in NHL history.
