Pittsburgh @ Ottawa preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2018 ) Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 6

Persistent rumors have spurred talk about Phil Kessel's days being numbered in the Steel City, but that hasn't stopped the 31-year-old from producing this season. Fresh off a four-point performance (two goals, two assists) that tied him with Evgeni Malkin for the team lead in scoring, Kessel looks to continue his hot streak on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Penguins open a three-game road trip versus the Ottawa Senators.

Kessel joined captain Sidney Crosby (one goal, two assists) and Jake Guentzel (career high-tying three assists) on a line that saw the three players combine for Pittsburgh's final three goals as the club scored six or more times in back-to-back games for the second occasion this season in Thursday's 6-2 win over the New York Islanders. "There's always going to be talk," Crosby said, per The Athletic. "And there's always going to be some things said outside of this room, the kind of stuff that we don't really have any control over. All I know is, we appreciate all the things he brings to this team." Ottawa has dropped consecutive 5-2 setbacks to Montreal in a home-and-home series sweep and lost six of its last nine overall after posting a 6-4 triumph over Pittsburgh on Nov. 17. Mark Stone, who scored twice against the Penguins in that encounter, tallied in both outings versus the Canadiens to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games for the Senators.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, Sportsnet 360, CITY (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (12-10-5): Guentzel has scored four goals and six assists during is career-high six-game point streak while Crosby recorded his team-best 11th multi-goal performance versus the Islanders. Fellow forward Riley Sheahan has three tallies in his last five contests while defenseman Brian Dumoulin is riding a career high-tying three-game assist streak. Fellow blue-liner Kris Letang scored twice in the first period to notch his second two-goal performance of the season on Thursday and also tallied in Pittsburgh's first encounter in Ottawa last month.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (12-14-3): Ottawa is keeping its fingers crossed after Matt Duchene (club-best 34 points) and Bobby Ryan exited Thursday's contest versus the Canadiens with injuries. Duchene, who had two goals and an assist in the first match versus Pittsburgh, was diagnosed with a lower-body ailment that coach Guy Boucher said "could be" a long-term injury, per the Ottawa Sun. Boucher echoed the same thought regarding the upper-body injury of Ryan, who is a four-time 30-goal scorer.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa D Thomas Chabot had one of his team-best 24 assists in the first meeting with Pittsburgh.

2. Three of Penguins C Zach Aston-Reese's six career goals are against the Senators, including one in the previous encounter this season.

3. Ottawa G Craig Anderson is just 6-10-2 in his 21 career appearances versus Pittsburgh.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Senators 2