Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the teams. Broadcasts include SportsNet Pittsburgh (local), Sportsnet One/TVA Sports (Canada), and ESPN+ in many markets.
Current Records and Recent Form
Senators: 12-6-2 (26 points, 4th in Atlantic). They score about 3.10 GF/GP and allow about 3.00 GA/GP. Strong faceoff percentage (~54%). Power play is weak (~11.8%, near the bottom of the league); penalty kill is middling (~75%). Recent form is solid (last 10 roughly 5-3-2), including a 4-3 OT win over Colorado on Nov. 12 (Shane Pinto with two goals, including the OT winner; Linus Ullmark returned in net). Road record is around 5-4-1. Key producers: Tim Stützle (~24 points), Drake Batherson (~19 points), Shane Pinto (~17 points).
Penguins: 7-10-2 (16 points, 6th in Metropolitan). They score about 3.11 GF/GP but allow a higher 3.47 GA/GP. Power play is better (~21.1%); penalty kill solid (~78.8%). Faceoffs lag (~46%). Home record is mixed (around 4-3-1). Last 10 roughly 4-5-1, with a recent 3-2 win at San Jose. Key producers: Evgeni Malkin (strong recent points), Erik Karlsson (high points from the blue line), Sidney Crosby, Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell.
Ottawa is the stronger team by record and recent results, while Pittsburgh is searching for consistency amid injuries and defensive issues.
Injury Reports
Senators:
Nick Cousins (C) — Out, upper body (expected back around Nov. 19).
Andre Burakovsky (LW) — IR, lower body (out into late November).
Warren Foegele (LW) — IR, knee (out into late November).
William Eklund (LW) — IR, ankle (longer-term, into January).
Linus Ullmark (G) — Returned recently from lower-body injury (started vs. Colorado).
Penguins:
Bryan Rust (RW) — IR, lower body (out into early December).
Ryan Graves (D) — IR, knee/lower body (out into late November).
Trevor van Riemsdyk (D) — IR, lower body (possible return around Nov. 14; status TBD).
Elmer Soderblom (LW) — IR, upper body (possible return around Nov. 14; status TBD).
Both teams are missing key depth/wingers; Pittsburgh’s blue-line absences and Rust’s absence hurt more on paper.
Projected/Current Rosters and Line Combinations
Senators projected forwards (Cousins out):
Zetterlund – Cozens/Stützle – Stützle/Cozens
Pinto – Batherson – Tomasino
Greig – Giroux – Amadio
Blais – Halliday – Hodgson Defense: Sanderson – Zub; Chabot – Spence; Kleven – Matinpalo.
Goalie: Linus Ullmark (recent return, excellent .938 SV% in limited action) or Samuel Ersson (probable/toss-up in some projections).
Penguins projected forwards (Rust and Soderblom out or limited):
Rakell – Crosby – Malkin
Novak/Kindel lines with Chinakhov/Robertson
Bottom six with Dewar/Lizotte etc. Defense: Karlsson pairings (often with Stastney or others); Girard – Korczak; Letang pairings (van Riemsdyk status pending).
Goalie: Arturs Silovs (frequent recent starter) or Sergei Murashov.
Special teams favor Pittsburgh’s power play, while Ottawa has the edge in faceoffs and overall structure.
Key Player Matchups
Tim Stützle / Drake Batherson / Shane Pinto (OTT) vs. Sidney Crosby / Evgeni Malkin / Rickard Rakell (PIT): Ottawa’s skilled young core against Pittsburgh’s veteran stars. Stützle’s speed and playmaking vs. Crosby/Malkin’s experience.
Jake Sanderson / Thomas Chabot (OTT defense) vs. Erik Karlsson and Pittsburgh attack: Sanderson logs heavy minutes and drives play; Karlsson remains a high-end offensive defenseman who can create mismatches.
Goaltending: Ullmark’s strong recent return vs. Pittsburgh’s tandem (Silovs/Murashov have mixed numbers).
Transition and special teams: Ottawa’s structure and faceoff wins vs. Pittsburgh’s PP opportunities and home-ice energy.
Depth: Both missing wingers, so secondary scoring and bottom-six contributions will matter.
Series History
First meeting of the 2026-27 season. Historical matchups have been competitive, with no clear recent dominance noted in available data for this specific series.
Betting Trends
Unders have been common in recent meetings and certain road/home scenarios. Ottawa has been solid against Eastern Conference foes; Pittsburgh has struggled as a home favorite at times but can cover as underdogs.
Ottawa’s better overall form, structure, and goaltending edge (with Ullmark available) should carry the day on the road against a Penguins team dealing with key absences and defensive inconsistencies. Pittsburgh’s veterans can keep it competitive at home and capitalize on power-play chances, but the Senators are the stronger side right now. Expect a competitive game that Ottawa pulls away in.
Data synthesized from NHL.com, ESPN, and related reports as of the latest available (around Nov. 13, 2026). Lineups, goalie starts, and injury statuses can change with morning skates or further updates.
Game Odds
Ottawa Senators – 130
Pittsburgh Penguins 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, November 13, 2026
