Ottawa @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2019 ) Ottawa 2, Pittsburgh 5

The sputtering Pittsburgh Penguins hope to put a halt to their first six-game regulation losing streak in eight years when they host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The Penguins have been outscored by a 24-8 margin during a skid that is bookended by a pair of shutout losses.

"I put it on myself," superstar captain Sidney Crosby said after seeing Pittsburgh plummet from first to third place in the Metropolitan Division. "I have to step up in key situations. When you're down like this and losing games, you need big plays and big performances. I haven't done that. That's on me." The Penguins look to regain their footing versus Ottawa, against which they have won eight in a row and recorded at least a point in 11 consecutive home games. The Senators, who have dropped five in a row overall on the road, enter Tuesday's tilt on a high after posting back-to-back victories for just the second time since late November. "We just try to celebrate every win," said Artem Anisimov, who scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as Ottawa skated to a 4-3 victory over Detroit on Saturday.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, TSN5, RDS2

ABOUT THE SENATORS (23-31-12): Ottawa's goaltender carousel will turn back to Craig Anderson after Marcus Hogberg was summoned to his native Sweden for family reasons on Monday. The 38-year-old Anderson hasn't fared well since the calendar shifted to 2020, posting a 3-7-1 record in 12 appearances (11 starts). The Senators reached out to Belleville and recalled 21-year-old goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who sported a 15-5-3 record with a 3.28 goals-against average and .885 save percentage with the American Hockey League affiliate.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (37-21-6): Defensemen Brian Dumoulin (ankle) and John Marino (facial surgery) served as full participants in practice on Monday and were labeled as game-time decisions against Ottawa. "It's really encouraging to get these guys back in a full capacity," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "They've had a handful of practices now." Forward Nick Bjugstad has shown progress in his long-term recovery from an abdomen injury, but he has been ruled out for Tuesday's tilt.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa RW Connor Brown has three goals and an assist in his last four games to boost his season point total to 40, tops among current players on the team.

2. Penguins C Evgeni Malkin collected two goals and an assist in a 5-2 win over the Senators on Dec. 30.

3. Ottawa has recorded three wins in 22 games at Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena since the building opened in 2010.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Senators 2