Ottawa @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 1, 2019 ) Ottawa 3, Pittsburgh 5

The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to log victories with key players on the injured list and look to add to an already impressive home record when they host the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. The Penguins have won six of their last seven overall after completing a home-and-home sweep of Nashville with a 6-4 victory Saturday, gaining points for the 17th time in 21 games at PPG Paints Arena this season (15-4-2).

“The emotions of the game were so high and low,” Pittsburgh’s leading scorer Jake Guentzel told reporters after scoring the winning goal with 1:03 to go on the power play. “I think you’re going to go through that during a stretch of the season. So just to come out on top, I think it’s big for us. We’re finding different ways to win.” The Penguins, who have been without captain Sidney Crosby along with fellow forward Nick Bjugstad and defensemen Justin Schultz and Brian Dumoulin, are 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings as the play the first of three against the improving Senators. Ottawa has points in five straight games (2-0-3) and eight of nine (4-1-4) after tying the contest late in the third period before falling 4-3 in overtime Sunday against visiting New Jersey. “I think we were a little bit sluggish, mentally, more than legs,” Senators coach D.J. Smith told reporters. “Conditioning wise, I think we’re in good shape. We skate really well; usually play better on the back-to-back. I would think that we’ll be sharper (Monday).”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN5 (Ottawa), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE SENATORS (16-18-5): Senators power forward Scott Sabourin returned to the lineup Sunday for the first time since suffering a facial injury Nov. 2, and registered three hits in 7 minutes, 17 seconds of ice time. “I was happy with it, baby steps,” Sabourin told reporters. “Not a ton of minutes, but that’s my job. I was happy with the way my body responded with the head and everything, and I thought, considering I was out for two months, I had all the energy I needed out there.” Right wing Anthony Duclair posted six of his team-high 31 points in the last five games and 11 of his career-high 21 goals in 12 games this month.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (23-11-4): Guentzel has scored twice and set up two others the last three games to increase his team-high totals to 19 goals and 40 points. Former Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin has been a force in the last month, recording at least a point in the last eight contests (three goals, 10 assists) and logging 21 points in his past 12 games to push his season total to 35 in 25 outings. Kris Letang has three of his 10 goals in the last five games, including his 40th career power-play tally Saturday to tie Hall of Famer Paul Coffey for the most by a Pittsburgh defenseman in franchise history.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa G Marcus Hogberg (1-1-2, .903 save percentage) is expected to start Monday after Craig Anderson made 30 saves Sunday.

2. Pittsburgh G Tristan Jarry (12-5-0, .939 SP) is expected back in net Monday to go after his sixth consecutive victory.

3. Senators F Jean-Gabriel Pageau recorded five of his 29 points in the last four games and is a team-high plus-21.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Senators 3