Takeaways: Penguins' Six-Game Win Streak Snapped By Senators In Lethargic Effort

Lately, it's been pretty easy to write serenades about the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have had their way with most of the teams they have played.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case on Monday.

The Ottawa Senators came to Pittsburgh and defeated the Penguins, 3-2, to snap the team's six-game win streak. Pittsburgh has now won just two of their last 11 games against the Senators, who didn't give them much to work with the entire game. 

Through two periods, the Penguins had just 10 shots on goal to the Senators' 23, and they never really found a way to get to the hard-forechecking and possession game that has made them so successful lately. Ottawa was shutting them down in the neutral zone, and the Penguins had a hard time breaking out of their own zone. 

"They jammed it up in the middle," forward Noel Acciari said. "We struggled getting out of our zone and getting in their zone. And the simple play was, tonight, just get it behind them and try and forecheck. But, it wasn't our best tonight.

"Ten shots over two periods is not going to win games, but we know we've got better, and it's a quick turnaround for tomorrow."

Out of the gate, the Penguins were pretty lethargic, and they were outworked from the jump. However, that didn't stop Evgeni Malkin from, once again, connecting with fellow Russian Egor Chinakhov, who was breaking through the slot. Chinakhov finished the play for his 10th of the season and seventh goal as a Penguin to put Pittsburgh in front, 1-0, early on. 

Egor Chinakhov strikes AGAIN 😮

He now has seven goals since joining the @penguins! pic.twitter.com/GCU6JeEHN3

— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2026

But, from there, the Penguins ran into some penalty trouble - which threw off their game - and the Senators pretty muc controlled all the momentum despite the goal. Michael Amadio tied the game from the slot just a minute and a half into the second period, and - miraculously - the score remained that way until the third because of the work of Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs, who was outstanding throughout this game. 

With a little more than 13 minutes to go in regulation, a bad change by defenseman Erik Karlsson led to a breakaway opportunity for Tim Stutzle, who capitalized for his 26th of the season to put Ottawa on top, 2-1. Two minutes later, Tommy Novak tied things up with a garbage goal at the net front, and the Penguins were still hanging on.

However - with just over five to go - Claude Giroux received a pass from Stutzle and crashed into the Silovs as Silovs stopped the initial shot attempt. However, the puck trickled into the net in the aftermath, and it was called a good goal on the ice. The Penguins challenged for goaltender interference on the play, but they lost the challenge and ultimately lost the game, 3-2. 

G💰 leaving it all out on the ice for the good guys tonight 💪#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/cIJSoCd9La

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) February 3, 2026

Silovs - who stopped 28 of 31 shots on the evening - did not agree with the ruling.

"I don't know. For me, it doesn't make sense," Silovs said. "He came in, I stopped the puck, and then the second... he goes like 25 miles [per hour] going down. Like, what do you expect me to do? I don't understand how they think, whether they're protecting players or not, especially for goalies... I don't understand this rule.

"Like, what's the position there? I would understand if it goes straightaway in, then I would agree with the call. But, it's a second effort, so I don't really agree with the call."

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Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this 3-2 loss:

- Honestly? There's not really much to say about this one. This is a bad matchup for the Penguins, and this team just has their number. They were never, at any point, the better team in this game, and it showed in the end result. 

And, honestly? The end result indicated a closer game than it actually was. 

Look, losing this one isn't the end of the world. Maybe this opinion is unpopular, but when you win a lot of hockey games, a team almost earns the luxury of having a dud here and there. It's been happening frequently lately to the best team in the league in the Colorado Avalanche, as they have lost three of their last eight games by a score of 7-3 against the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens.

This is one that you lock away in a box and leave. The Penguins need their best Tuesday against the New York Islanders - who lost to the Washington Capitals, 4-1, on Monday - and I expect a response, especially after seeing how much head coach Dan Muse was seething after the game. 

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- Silovs was truly magnificent in this game, and I think it was one of his best as a Penguin.

He made a ton of key saves early, and throughout the year, the early parts of games is where he has struggled the most. But he was dialed in all night long, and he was the only reason this game was as close as it was. 

His teammates owe him a very fancy steak dinner after this one.

Arturs Silovs stretches across for the acrobatic save! 👏 pic.twitter.com/3VcZYFoitz

— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2026

- Chinakhov continues to make me wonder what the Columbus Blue Jackets were thinking. This guy just has such great instincts on top of having a 99th percentile shot in this league.

And, if I'm the Penguins, he's out there in six-on-five situations and on the first power play unit. There's no sense in not having the guy with the best shot on your team - and some of the best offensive instincts - out there in almost every key offensive situation. 

What a player this guy has been for the Penguins and for Malkin. 

- Speaking of the power play, it was another rough one for them, even if they only got one opportunity in the latter half of the third period. It's just one of its last 16, and there isn't really anything going right on that unit right now. 

A switch-up in personnel may be in order, but honestly? I just think it comes down to more player movement and quicker, more decisive puck movement. The Penguins are also overpassing right now and not getting nearly enough pucks - or bodies - to the net. 

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- This was a disaster of a game for every Penguin not named Silovs in general, but boy, was this a dud from Karlsson.

Karlsson has been one of the Penguins' best players all season long, but he struggles against his former team. He doesn't not have a goal against the Senators in his career, and he is a minus-5 - which doesn't account for that bad change. 

Not a good game from the blue line in general, but he stood out in particular. 

- The top line is not functioning well for the Penguins right now. This four-game stretch for Sidney Crosby has been rough - he has just one point in the last four games - and without Bryan Rust, they haven't been able to generate anything, as Justin Brazeau doesn't look like a fit there. 

If Rust wasn't returning Tuesday, I think a look for Rutger McGroarty with Crosby and Rickard Rakell would be warranted. But, with Rust set to return against the Isles, it's probably a moot point. 

Still, even with Rust in the fold before his suspension, something has been off. It's nice that the Penguins are getting secondary scoring, but at some point, the top line needs to produce at its customary rate again if the Penguins want to continue winning down the stretch run of the season.

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