PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Playoff Streak in jeopardy? Pittsburgh’s 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators Monday night on home ice has seen the Penguins fall out of playoff spot with a vaunted back-t0-back stretch of road games coming up Wednesday and Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. The Penguins in the midst of now a four-game losing streak, have seen the Florida Panthers, 6-0-1 in their last seven games, go from being five points behind the Penguins to now one point ahead of the Penguins in a matter of five days.

WILD CARD WATCH: IN: 1. Islanders 80 pts, 71 GP; 2. Panthers 79 pts, 70 GP; OUT: 3. Penguins 78 pts, 70 GP;

Morning Skate Buzz: The hits keep coming to the Pittsburgh Penguins blueline. The latest being first pairing defenseman Marcus Pettersson who left Saturday’s 6-0 loss to the New York Rangers with an upper body injury and today was placed on long-term injured reserve. The Penguins announce the LTIR move for Pettersson is retroactive to March 18th, meaning Pettersson won’t be eligible to return until the last week of the regular season. Pittsburgh will be without four of their top-6 six blueliners in Pettersson, Jeff Petry, Jan Rutta and Dmitry Kulikov.

Wild Card Race Entering Monday

1. Islanders 80 pts | 71 GP | 2. Penguins 78 Pts | 69 GP | 3. Panthers 77 Pts | 69 GP

Penguins Week Ahead: 3/20 vs Senators; 3/22 @ Avalanche; 3/23 @ Stars; 3/25 vs Capitals

Islanders Week Ahead: 3/21 vs Maple Leafs; 3/24 @ Blue Jackets; 3/25 vs Sabres;

Panthers Week Ahead: 3/20 vs Red Wings; 3/21 @ Flyers; 3/23 vs Maple Leafs; 3/25 vs Rangers