The surging Penguins face off against Sergei Gonchar and the Ottawa Senators for the second time this season on Friday at 1:00 at CONSOL Energy Center. The Pens won the two teams' first meeting, 5-2, on October 18. Since then, the Senators have been uneven, winning seven of 11 before dropping four of their last five. Ottawa has struggled, in particular, to keep their opponents from scoring - this month, they've allowed five or more goals against the Canucks, Flyers, Hurricanes and Blues. The Senators have also recorded just 19 shots in each of their last two games.
The Pens, meanwhile, are firing on all cylinders, thanks in part to the recovery of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and some great performances in the penalty kill, and they're 5-0-1 since a disastrous come-from-ahead loss against the Bruins on November 10. The Pens are now four points behind the Flyers in the Atlantic Division, and they're beginning to establish a bit of distance from the third-place New York Rangers. The Flyers have a home matinee against the Calgary Flames on Friday.