Will there be a playoff with this score...Pittsburg Penguins News

Will there be a playoff with this score...Pittsburg Penguins NewsShow more

The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost four games in a row, as they try to make a playoff spot for the 17th consecutive season. Although they played much better against the Senators at home on Monday night, they were still unable to get the win, ultimately losing 2-1. The Panthers have now moved ahead of the Penguins in the Wild Card standings, with 79 points compared to the Penguins' 78 points, while the Islanders remain in the first Wild Card spot with 80 points.
The Penguins were without four of their regular defensemen entering the game, with Marcus Pettersson, Jeff Petry, Jan Rutta, and Dmitry Kulikov sidelined. Meanwhile, the Senators were dealing with issues at the goaltender position, and Dylan Ferguson was called up from the American Hockey League to make his first NHL start against the Penguins.
Despite the Penguins' dominant performance in the first period, outshooting the Senators 18-7, they found themselves down 1-0 thanks to Ferguson's heroics. The Penguins continued to pepper him with shots throughout the game, but it wasn't until Rickard Rakell - moved from Sidney Crosby's line to Evgeni Malkin's line - scored a crucial goal late in regulation that the Penguins were able to even the score.
Unfortunately, the Senators were awarded a power play with 3:05 remaining, and although the Penguins battled hard, Drake Batherson scored the game-winning goal after Bryan Rust had missed a clear. The Penguins struggled to score goals in their last few games, but they had a lot of high-quality looks against the Senators, with Tristan Jarry making some crucial saves in goal.
Head Coach Mike Sullivan praised the defensemen who were thrown into a difficult situation, saying they played a solid game. He also noted the Penguins had an awful lot of looks, but the pucks didn't go into the net for them. While Rust was disappointed with his missed clear, Sullivan said he knows what he needs to do to help the team win and that he competed really hard throughout the game. The Penguins are now focused on the tough opponents coming up and grabbing some points, as they aim for a playoff spot.