In Pittsburgh, the Penguins were handed their fourth straight loss on Monday night n a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators. 
Pittsburgh lost to Dylan Ferguson, who made 48 saves in his firs career NHL start.
“Obviously, for whatever reason, the last couple of games, it’s been a struggle to score,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “These guys care. They want to win. They’re trying. I’m sure that’s part of it. But we just have to find a way to control our emotions and keep grinding away.”
Ferguson was called up from the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League, on Sunday.
“It’s still sinking in, to be honest,” Ferguson said. “My big focus tonight was [to] just go out there and be me, don’t try to be anything I’m not [and] stay in the moment. I felt like I did that.”
The Senators moved to 34-31-5, and ended a five-game skid.
Thomas Chabot scored late in the first period to give the Senators a 1-0 lead.
That goal held up into the early stages of the third period.
“The way we were playing, it felt like once we got one, there would be more to come, hopefully,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. “Get a big one there. Unfortunately, they come right back and get one. It’s tough. We fought hard.”
The loss, combined with the Florida Panthers 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, dropped the Penguins out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh dropped to 34-26-10.
Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell tied the game, 1-1 at 6:10 of the third.
“It’s just a perfect ending for a guy like that,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. “When he started his summer training, I would think that he didn’t think he would be giving up one on that many shots in Pittsburgh at the end of the year. That just shows you, if you stay with it, you never know when your chance comes.”
Ottawa reclaimed the lead on a marker from Drake Batherson with just over two minutes left in the third.
Tristan Jarry made 19 saves in the Penguins loss.
“We have to bring it,” said Jarry. “Obviously, we put a lot of pucks on net. I think, eventually, goals are going to go in. It’s a good start. Obviously, it’s a good 60 minutes for us. We played well. The puck just wasn’t going in for us tonight.”
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