penguins vs senators is on the schedule tonight, March 26, with puck drop set for 7: 00 PM ET at Canadian Tire Centre. The Pittsburgh Penguins (35-20-16) make a quick trip to face the Ottawa Senators (38-24-9) as points tighten in the race. The game is available on SportsNet Pittsburgh, with audio on 105. 9 The X and on the Penguins app.
Game setup: records, location, and how to watch
The matchup brings together two clubs separated by a single point in the standings: Ottawa has 85 points and Pittsburgh has 86 points in the Eastern Conference. The setting is Canadian Tire Centre, with the puck scheduled to drop at 7: 00 PM ET.
Viewing information differs by broadcast listing: the game is available on SportsNet Pittsburgh, and a separate broadcast listing notes + as an option. On radio, fans can listen on 105. 9 The X and on the Penguins app.
Pittsburgh arrives with a long run of results against Ottawa: the Penguins have points in 16 of their last 23 games versus the Senators (10-7-6) dating back to March 23, 2017. Stretching further back, Pittsburgh has points in 28 of its last 37 games against Ottawa (20-9-8) dating back to January 27, 2013. At Canadian Tire Centre, four of the last five meetings between the teams have gone to overtime.
Penguins Vs Senators: injuries, goalies, and key streaks in focus
Tonight’s penguins vs senators comes with lineup questions and sharp individual trends on both sides.
For Pittsburgh, the forward group has been dealing with injuries. Evgeni Malkin is listed as day-to-day. Anthony Mantha was initially announced as not playing Thursday, but Mantha later confirmed he will play Thursday night. Blake Lizotte is also out with an injury, leaving the Penguins with only 12 forwards. The Penguins recalled Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Thursday morning.
In goal, based on coach Dan Muse’s rotation, Stuart Skinner is in line to start Thursday. Skinner has a 6-1-0 record in seven games against Ottawa, with a. 903 save percentage and a 2. 71 goals against average. In Pittsburgh’s last game Tuesday, the Colorado Avalanche beat the Penguins 6-2; Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 shots in the loss.
For Ottawa, the Senators have won four in a row and are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. Tuesday, Ottawa beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at Little Caesars Arena, with Linus Ullmark stopping 32 of 34 shots. Ottawa’s blue line is depleted: Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen, and Lassi Thomson are out. Even so, Ottawa has not allowed more than two goals in any of its last four games. Ullmark has regained his spot as Ottawa’s No. 1 goalie and is expected in net.
Several Penguins enter with momentum. Bryan Rust is riding a career-long eight-game point streak (5G-7A) and has points in 13 of his last 14 games played (7G-11A) dating back to Feb. 28. Rickard Rakell has points in nine of his last 10 games (4G-7A). Captain Sidney Crosby has a four-game point streak (1G-4A) since returning from injury and enters the game two assists shy of 1, 100 career assists. Egor Chinakhov scored in three straight games, extending his goal streak to three games (3G-1A) and setting a new single-season career high with his 17th goal.
On the blue line, Erik Karlsson has been productive: he recorded two goals and an assist Wednesday against Carolina and now has nine assists in his last nine games overall. He also has 19 points (7G-12A) in the last 14 games and leads all NHL defensemen in points over that span. Karlsson has seven assists in 15 career games when playing the Senators, his former team.
Immediate reactions and what’s next at 7: 00 PM ET
Anthony Mantha, forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins, confirmed he will play Thursday night after an earlier announcement indicated he would not. Head Coach Dan Muse has guided a first-year NHL season described as among the league’s most consistent, with the team surpassing last season’s win total through 71 games and showing year-over-year improvement in multiple categories.
Next comes the start: 7: 00 PM ET at Canadian Tire Centre. With overtime common in this building between these teams and standings separation measured in a single point, the immediate focus is execution early and, if needed, managing the game beyond regulation as penguins vs senators plays out tonight.
