Pens Points: Outside Looking In

The bad times kept coming for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, their fourth in a row and a decision that now sees them on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Dylan Ferguson played hero for the Senators in his first NHL start, making 47 saves in the victory. [Pensburgh]

Pens Points...

What could have been a big week for the Penguins turned into a complete nightmare and suddenly the playoff pressure is more intense than ever. Now they face another four game week that includes a road trip to Denver and Dallas. [Pensburgh]

As the Penguins prepare to enter this crucial week of games, they will do so shorthanded as injuries continue to mount. Jeff Petry, Jan Rutta, and Marcus Pettersson all missed the morning skate and it was later announced Pettersson was placed on LTIR. [Pensburgh]

In two years as general manager, Ron Hextall has made the Penguins older and slower, and as a result, worse on the ice. The struggles this season are just the end game for what has been building throughout his tenure. [KDKA]

Whenever this offseason arrives, the Penguins will have a decision to make at goaltender. Tristan Jarry is a free agent but his play has raised more questions than answers this season and there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix one way or another. [The Hockey News]

News and notes from around the NHL...

It’s been a season long heater for the Boston Bruins who are cruising to the President’s Trophy. Just because they are the top overall doesn’t mean they won’t have a battle to win the ultimate prize and that fight could start with a number of opponents. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

In less than two weeks, our sister site Broad Street Hockey will become independent after being released by SBNation. In preparation for launch, they revealed more details for what the site will look like starting in April. Best of luck to them. [Broad Street Hockey]

As the playoffs approach, much attention will be paid to how teams are performing even if they are comfortably in a playoff spot. Whether is matters much of not, good results on the ice will result in better vibes among the fan base. [All About the Jersey]