Penguins’ Win Streak Snapped by Senators in a Sloppy, Frustrating Loss
The Pittsburgh Penguins came into Monday night riding high on a six-game winning streak, but that momentum came to a screeching halt in their final home game before the Olympic break. A 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators wasn’t just a dent in the standings-it was a reminder that even the hottest teams can get burned when they stray from their identity.
And the Penguins know it.
“What we had today wasn't much,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said bluntly postgame. “We still hung in there all the way to the end, but I don't think we deserved to win this one.”
Hard to argue with that. Despite striking first-thanks to a slick feed from Evgeni Malkin to Egor Chinakhov-the Penguins spent most of the night chasing the game. Ottawa tilted the ice early and often, and if not for goaltender Arturs Silovs, this one could’ve gotten out of hand fast.
Silovs was sharp from the opening puck drop, turning away a flurry of high-danger chances in the first period alone. He was the main reason the game remained within reach after 40 minutes, despite Pittsburgh being outshot 22-10 through two periods.
“I think him and [Skinner] have been standing on their head every night for us,” said Blake Lizotte. “Tonight, unfortunately, Artie was forced into that again. He did a great job and deserved better from us in front of him.”
The Penguins have been one of the NHL’s best teams since the holiday break, going 13-2-2 over that stretch. But Monday night, they looked out of sync.
Zone exits were sloppy, puck support was inconsistent, and time in the offensive zone was fleeting. Karlsson didn’t sugarcoat it.
“This was probably one of the very few games where we couldn't seem to figure out how we wanted to play,” he said. “I don't think anyone in here, myself included, feels very good about how we started.”
The penalties didn’t help either. Pittsburgh took four straight minors in the first two periods, which only compounded their struggles.
“Too many penalties,” Lizotte admitted. “It takes guys out of the game.
From a team perspective, that’s disappointing. But from a PK perspective, I’m really proud of the way the guys battled tonight, even though we didn’t have our best stuff.”
Despite all that, the Penguins still found themselves in a tied game entering the third. But Ottawa finally cashed in when Tim Stützle cleaned up a rebound off a Drake Batherson breakaway to give the Senators their first lead of the night.
Pittsburgh responded quickly. Ryan Shea’s shot from the boards found its way through traffic, and Novak pounced on the loose puck to notch his 10th of the season. With the score level again, it felt like the Penguins might just escape with at least a point.
But then came the controversial moment of the night.
With just over five minutes left in regulation, Claude Giroux broke in on a partial breakaway. Silovs made the initial save, but Karlsson’s backcheck sent Giroux crashing into the net-and the puck crossed the line. Head coach Dan Muse immediately challenged for goaltender interference.
After review, the goal stood.
“He came in, I stopped the puck. He goes like 25 miles an hour going down,” Silovs said afterward.
“What do they expect me to do? I would understand if it would go straight in.
Then I’d agree with the call. But it’s a second effort.
I don’t really agree with the call.”
Muse didn’t get much clarity either.
“I didn’t get an explanation,” he said. “I saw it as they called a slash, he makes the save, and is run into-no chance at all.
There’s nothing else he can do there. That’s why I challenged it.”
Down by one, the Penguins pulled Silovs for the extra attacker, but couldn’t find the equalizer. Linus Ullmark and the Senators’ defense held strong as time expired, handing Pittsburgh a rare loss in an otherwise dominant stretch.
Muse didn’t mince words about the performance.
“It was flat. Execution, races, battles-we didn’t have it,” he said. “Outside of Silovs and the penalty kill, there’s not much else I’m walking away here liking.”
He also pointed to the team’s inability to break through Ottawa’s structure-a system they’ve seen before and should’ve been prepared for.
“We’ve seen it this year. This isn’t the first time,” Muse said.
“We weren’t executing. The support wasn’t there.
We weren’t generating off the forecheck. We weren’t getting into the offensive zone.
It felt like we spent the vast majority of the game either defending or without the puck. That’s not the game we want to play.”
Still, the Penguins won’t have long to dwell on it. They’re headed to New York for a back-to-back against the Islanders on Tuesday-a chance to reset and get back to the brand of hockey that’s carried them through the past six weeks.
Karlsson summed it up best.
“This was not the brand of hockey that we’ve been accustomed to playing,” he said. “Gotta wash this one away.
We know we’re a much better hockey team. We’ve got a big game again tomorrow, and I think everybody’s already looking forward to turning the page.”
The Penguins have shown they can bounce back. Now, they’ll have to prove it-on short rest, on the road, and with a bitter taste still lingering.