The New York Islanders (13-15-7) return from their holiday hiatus against the surging Pittsburgh Penguins (16-15-5). For the Islanders, it kicks off a pair of back-to-back sets they have, starting with these Penguins.

The Islanders have sunk to the bottom of the Metro with three losses in four games, most recently suffering a 7-1 blowout to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Season S

The New York Islanders return from the holiday break a mess. Their Dec. 23 must-win game against the hapless Buffalo Sabres ended in a 7-1 loss. At 13-15-7, the Islanders have the worst record in the Metropolitan Division and the fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference.

Alex Tuch and Zach Quinn scored 15 seconds apart to make the score 3-0. Then Connor Bedard fumbled the puck with less than a minute left in the first, which led to a final rush for the Sabres. Dylan Cozens made it 4-0. They were firing on all cylinders and cycling, which made the Blackhawks uncomfortable all period.

What a difference a win makes. The second sellout crowd of the season at KeyBank Center erupted into the wave and sang along in unison throughout a jubilant third period. And there wasn’t an inflatable palm tree or frown-faced paper bag in sight.

The Buffalo Sabres finally turned the car out of the skid, crushing the New York Islanders before Christmas. That didn’t solve anything – it’s hard to feel great after losing 13 straight games – but at least it temporarily stopped discussions of who the team should trade for.