Kris Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history with five points in a period and finished with six assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins pounded the New York Islanders, 7-0 on Wednesday.

Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice and Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as Pittsburgh stretched its point streak to four games (3-0-1).

Letang assisted on the final five of the Penguins’ six second-period goals to become the first player of any position in franchise history with five points in a period.

He is the seventh defenseman in league history with six assists in a game and the first since Calgary’s Gary Suter on April 4, 1986.

Pittsburgh scored six goals in a single period on the road for the first time since March 21, 2000, also against the Islanders.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 19 of 25 shots over the first two periods before he was replaced by Semyon Varlamov.

New York had a nine-game home point streak (6-0-3) snapped.

MacKinnon extends point streak but Coyotes rally

Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to 19 games, but the Arizona Coyotes overcame a 4-goal deficit and beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Jack McBain’s goal with 20 seconds left in overtime.

MacKinnon’s 19th goal with 6:34 left in the second period pushed Colorado’s lead to 4-0 but Lawson Crouse began Arizona’s comeback just over three minutes later.

Michael Kesselring and Jason Zucker scored in the third period before Sean Durzi netted the equaliser with 2:07 left in regulation.

MacKinnon’s streak is one short of the franchise record set by Paul Stastny in 2006-07. MacKinnon has an NHL-high 27 points in December, a career high for a month.

The Coyotes have won five of six following a four-game skid.

Surging Wild defeat Red Wings

Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno scored 52 seconds apart in the third period and the Minnesota Wild tallied four times in the frame in a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

Marcus Johansson scored twice and Kirill Kaprizov extended his goal streak to four games for Minnesota, which has won four straight and seven of eight. The Wild improved to 11-3-0 since John Hynes took over behind the bench – including seven consecutive home wins.

Patrick Kane scored for the fourth straight game as Detroit lost for the sixth time in seven games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced defenseman Kris Letang will be out "indefinitely" after suffering a stroke on Monday, though his NHL career is not thought to be in doubt.

Letang was previously out of action for two months after suffering a stroke in 2014, with subsequent tests showing he was born with a small hole in the wall of his heart.

Speaking to the team's website, Pittsburgh's general manager Ron Hextall revealed the 35-year-old had suffered symptoms on Monday before undergoing testing, which will continue in the coming days.

"Kris reported symptoms to the training staff on Monday and was immediately taken to the hospital for testing," Hextall said. 

"The test results were shocking to hear, but we are grateful that Kris is doing well. We are thankful to the medical staff and the physicians at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"He is a warrior on the ice, but first and foremost, he is a son, father, husband and friend. His health is our number one priority."

Letang, meanwhile, is optimistic he will make a swift return to action.

"I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognise when something isn't right," Letang added. "While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. 

"It is important for me that my team-mates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon."

Letang has spent the entirety of his 17-year career with the Penguins, playing 962 regular-season games, 543 of which have come since he suffered his first stroke eight years ago.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and veteran defenseman Kris Letang have agreed to a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension, the team announced on Thursday.  

The deal runs through to the 2027-28 season, during which Letang will turn 41 years old.  

"Kris epitomises what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin," general manager Ron Hextall said in a statement. "The role he plays on our team is irreplaceable.

"He is a leader in our locker room, and has made countless contributions to the organisation over the last 15-plus years, which includes three Stanley Cup Championships.  

"We are thrilled to make him a Penguin for life."

Letang has only played for Pittsburgh in his NHL career after being drafted by the Penguins in the third round in 2005.  

He has hoisted the Stanley Cup three times – in 2009, 2016 and 2017 – and set career highs last season with 58 assists and 68 points, helping Pittsburgh to a 46-25-11 record. 

Letang has played 941 games in a Penguins sweater, passing Mario Lemieux for third in franchise history last season.

Only team-mates Sidney Crosby (1,108) and Evgeni Malkin (981) have played more games for the Penguins.