Pens' Slide Continues Against Surging Senators

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- The Penguins' losing streak stretched to five games as they fell to the Ottawa Senators, 5-1 Tuesday night at the CONSOL Energy Center.

Milan Michalek scored two goals and the Senators dominated the Pens whose ranks are decimated by injuries.

"The worst thing is to feel sorry for ourselves," winger Tyler Kennedy said. "Right now, we've got to stick together and play for each other."

Chris Neil, Bobby Butler and Jason Spezza also netted goals for Ottawa.

Evgeni Malkin broke through with his 17th goal of the season at 11:14 in the second after the Pens were down 4-1.

The Penguins killed three of the Senators' four power-play opportunities.

Brent Johnson was pulled after Spezza's goal early in the second period gave Ottawa a 3-0 lead. Marc-Andre Fleury made 13 saves, but allowed two more goals.

Pittsburgh, a Stanley Cup favorite after Sidney Crosby's brief return in November, is eighth in the Eastern Conference at the season's midway point.

"We've got to come together and dig ourselves out of the hole we've put ourselves in," James Neal said.

The Senators, meanwhile, are surging. Ottawa won for the sixth time in seven games without its usual flair for the dramatic. The team leads the NHL in third-period comebacks, the last coming in a 6-4 win against Philadelphia on Sunday.

"We didn't respond like we needed to," defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. "We hung both our goalies out to dry."

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