The Pittsburgh Penguins will make the trip to Canadian Tire Centre to face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. Pittsburgh arrives under pressure, losers of six straight, while Ottawa looks to build momentum from a recent overtime win. Before this contest begins in Ottawa, continue reading to get my breakdown of this contest, including my Penguins vs Senators prediction.
Our Penguins vs Senators Pick
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators
- Date & Time: Thursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
Recent form
Pittsburgh’s recent results have been disappointing, with the club dropping its last six outings. A mix of close losses and defensive breakdowns has seen the Penguins struggle to finish games, despite producing offense at a respectable rate this season. Sidney Crosby continues to lead the Pittsburgh attack, but the team’s inability to close out tight contests has rendered their offensive production worthless of late.
Ottawa arrives off a 3-2 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets, finishing a 2-1-0 road trip. The Senators have only four wins in their last 11 games, but the victory over Winnipeg highlighted the club’s ability to rally and get contributions from its top stars against quality competition.
Goaltending
Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark is expected to start and has posted a goals‑against average of 3.00 with a .879 save percentage this season. Recent inconsistencies in goal have hampered the Senators’ results, but home ice could provide an advantage and get Ullmark on track. Pittsburgh has seen its goaltending challenged in recent weeks as well, contributing to its defensive woes. Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs are their top options in net and the Pens will hope to get a good game in net.
Key skaters
Sidney Crosby remains a key factor for the Penguins, leading the club in scoring with 35 points, while Erik Karlsson’s playmaking from the blue line adds another layer to Pittsburgh’s attack. Rickard Rakell’s return from injured reserve gives the Penguins another offensive option. On Ottawa’s side, Tim Stutzle has been productive with over 30 points and a multi‑game scoring streak. Brady Tkachuk delivered an overtime winner recently, showing his value in critical moments as well.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | |
| Tim Stutzle | |
| Erik Karlsson |
Betting Trends & H2H
- This is the first of three games between the Penguins and Senators this season.
- The Penguins are 22-10 on the puckline going into this contest.
- Ottawa is 13-19 in the puckline market entering Tuesday’s game.
Penguins vs Senators Model Projection
Final Thoughts
