Penguins Q&A: Frustration & Changes After 4th Straight Loss

The Pittsburgh Penguins did nothing wrong on Monday but still lost to the Ottawa Senators 2-1 at PPG Paints Arena. It was the Penguins’ fourth straight loss, and they are now outside the Eastern Conference playoff standings after the Florida Panthers won for the sixth time in seven games.

The Penguins trail Florida by one point. No games in hand.

Get the PHN+ Penguins report card here. I detailed Coach Mike Sullivan’s changes in-depth, their effect, and the one thing the Penguins didn’t do.

I get into the “one thing” in the Q&A, too.

The Penguins fired 49 shots on Ottawa goalie Dylan Ferguson, 24, a minor league journeyman making just his second NHL start and first in five years.

Maligned center Jeff Carter’s line held a decisive edge in scoring chances over their competition, 4-0. Yet, none of it was enough.

“We’ve just got to find a way to control our emotions and just keep grinding away,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought we played well enough to win tonight.”

The Penguins limited Ottawa to just 21 shots despite a defense corps with two emergency recalls and Chad Ruhwedel.

Sullivan also reconfigured his lines and experimented with Ryan Poehling at third-line center and Mikael Granlund back to right wing.

Fans were perplexed by the Penguins’ effort Monday and remained focused on the bigger picture. The questions include the status of Mike Sullivan’s and Ron Hextall’s jobs, the team’s heart, and more on Brian Dumoulin and Bryan Rust.

I dive into all of them and my postgame meal options on a Monday night with a 6 a.m. flight looming. Like, comment, and subscribe to the NHN YouTube channel.