After making the playoffs for 16 consecutive campaigns, it's near impossible to imagine a postseason field that doesn't include the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that might soon become a reality.

The Penguins are barely holding onto a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their already shaky positioning wasn't helped by their current three-game losing streak that saw them get outscored 10-2 by the New York Rangers in an embarrassing back-to-back set.

Despite the uncertainty of an underwhelming season, captain Sidney Crosby is remaining calm.

"We've been in those situations, and you gotta turn the page," Crosby told reporters Monday, two days after his side's rough 6-0 loss at Madison Square Garden. "Whether you win a game or lose a game, you gotta learn from it. It was a tough lesson. Those aren't fun games to be a part of, but you gotta move on.

"We know the importance of all the games from here on in. We've just gotta find a way to make sure we put a full 60 together, give ourselves a chance."

Prior to the Penguins' recent skid - their eighth multi-game losing streak of the season - they held the first wild-card spot and a two-point edge over the New York Islanders.

Now, the Islanders are ahead of the Penguins, while the Florida Panthers lie in wait after winning five of their last six games:

Like the Panthers, the Islanders are also trending upwards with five victories in their last seven contests.

To be fair, the Penguins have had to deal with their fair share of injuries - two of their three trade deadline acquisitions are currently considered week-to-week - but they haven't been at their best this season. Pittsburgh has allowed 3.26 goals against per game, its worst clip since 2006-07, which is when the squad's impressive playoff streak began.

The organization fought to keep its iconic core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang together in the offseason, and they've done their part. Crosby and Malkin are Pittsburgh's top two point-getters with 83 and 72, respectively, while Letang paces the team in average ice time (24:23).

The Penguins' next chance to snap the skid will come Monday against the Ottawa Senators.

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Barring an incredible hot streak and a collapse from the teams in front of them, the Ottawa Senators have likely excused themselves from Stanley Cup Playoffs contention. A win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night could resuscitate their chances, but in the three-point game era, it's very difficult to make up ground in the final weeks of the season.

Ottawa lost six of its last seven games, and its slide has come in conjunction with an injury to Cam Talbot, who missed 10 games when the season began (Ottawa went 4-6).

When the Senators (now 20-1 to make the playoffs) miss the postseason, will it simply be because their veteran 35-year-old stopgap starter wasn't available at the beginning and virtual end of their season?

Here's a look at the four goaltenders the Senators used more than once this season and how they've fared relative to the average goaltender, using goals saved above expectation.

Per 60 minutes, Anton Forsberg has held up in deputizing for Talbot, while Mads Sogaard has been the weak link of the trio. In what is likely a good example of small-sample bias, Kevin Mandolese excelled in the three appearances he had this season.

While all this is cool for Senators fans, as bettors it's theoretically need-to-know information, especially with Forsberg out for the season and Sogaard the nominal starter until Talbot comes back. Here's the problem:

Despite the difference in the metric evaluation of each goaltender, the Senators have been virtually .500 when any of them have started. However, it's important to know what might happen with Sogaard now playing nightly. He went 4-1 in spot starts against five teams that aren't currently in the playoffs, but since getting the No. 1 workload, he's 1-5 - with four games coming against playoff teams.

On the surface, there isn't likely to be a valuable bet on Senators-Penguins on Monday night, as listed below. But if there's a hidden element that would hurt the Sens' rating based on inexperience in net, the Penguins might be the side to back.

The recipe

We started the season using regular-season point totals as a baseline for rating teams since it's our best measurement. Throughout the campaign, we adjust club ratings using on-ice metrics to remove the cognitive bias of win-loss records, which can be skewed by outliers like special-teams results, poor goaltending performances, and other unreliable events.

The cheat sheet

There are no bad bets at the right price, but how do we know what a good price is?

The following includes my fair price on the games (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side. I only need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. For games I project to be closer to a coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough for a worthwhile wager. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a team playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and a 3% consideration for a team on the second leg of a back-to-back without travel. When it comes to injured players, I do my best to estimate the impact on their team's win probability.

When the betting markets open up the night before, you can compare those prices with our "price to bet" column to see if you're getting any value with either side's moneyline. The moneyline could also move into a bet-friendly range at some point between market open and puck drop.

Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.

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We begin the week with 10 teams in action. Among that group are two of the bottom-three seeds in the NHL. Let's take a look at the best ways to attack them.

Sharks (+270) @ Oilers (-340)

Things are going from bad to worse for the Sharks. They've been an unmitigated disaster since the trade deadline, winning just once in eight tries.

In that span, they've scored 17 goals and conceded 37, posting a league-worst minus-20 goal differential.

They're severely lacking scoring punch without Timo Meier, and they're getting crushed defensively.

Only two teams have conceded expected goals at a higher rate across all situations. Given the level of goaltending they've gotten from James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen, it's no surprise so many chances against are leading to goal after goal.

I don't think the bleeding is going to stop against the Oilers. They're 6-2-0 since deadline day and have generated expected goals at a top-five clip league-wide.

With Evander Kane healthy again and newcomer Mattias Ekholm making the team more stable defensively, an already strong Oilers side is as deep and talented as its been at any point this season.

The Oilers have averaged nearly 4.70 goals per game over the past couple of weeks, which ranks them second in the NHL.

They're scoring at will, and I don't see any reason why that'll change against a Sharks team in its worst form of the campaign.

Look for the Oilers to make easy work of the Sharks on home soil.

Bet: Oilers -1.5 (-145)

Blackhawks (+380) @ Avalanche (-500)

The Blackhawks have picked up seven points over eight games since the trade deadline but don't let that fool you; they aren't playing well.

Whether you look at shot, chance, or expected goal differentials, they're laboring across the board - just as they have all season.

The reason they've found some success of late: unsustainably high percentages. The Blackhawks are among the league leaders in shooting percentage and save percentage over the past couple of weeks.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know a team with their talent - or lack thereof - isn't going to keep company with the likes of the Bruins and Rangers over the long haul. It makes sense for those teams to shoot the lights out and/or get great goaltending. The same can't be said of the Blackhawks.

I think they're due to hit a wall sooner rather than later, and a road date against the Avalanche is the perfect time for that regression to kick in.

The Avs are 6-2-1 since deadline day and are full value for their record, having controlled better than 57% of the expected goal share.

They're dominating their opponents and generally starting fast, as has been the case all season. Despite all the injuries faced, the Avs are top 10 in first-period goals for and top five in first-period goals against.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are 31st in opening-period goals for and 29th in goals conceded. They struggle mightily at both ends of the ice.

Expect their slow starts to continue at altitude against a significantly better opponent.

Bet: Avalanche first period -0.5 (-120)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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We have a small but fun five-game slate on the menu for Monday night. Let's take a look at a few of the best ways to attack it.

Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots (-145)

MacKinnon is shooting the lights out right now. He's gone over his total in six of the past nine home games, over which time he's averaged just under eight shot attempts per contest.

Of the three games he's gone under, two were against very structured, slower-paced teams in the Flames and Kraken. I don't think the Blackhawks fit those criteria.

Only two sides have conceded five-on-five shots at a higher rate than Chicago since the trade deadline. This is a very strong matchup for Colorado in that game state, and its elite power play can be expected to make noise against anybody. MacKinnon should generate plenty in all situations.

It's also worth noting the Blackhawks rank 31st in shots against per game to centers over the last 10. That's their worst ranking against any position.

Even juiced, I see plenty of value in backing MacKinnon at home in this spot.

Kris Letang over 2.5 shots (-125)

Letang continues to fire from anywhere and everywhere on home ice. The veteran Penguins blue-liner ranks third in shot attempts (81) across the entire NHL over his past 10 home games.

The only two players who rank ahead of him, Jason Robertson and Roman Josi, always have shots lines set at 3.5, and they're often juiced toward the over. Yet Letang is priced at 2.5.

Letang has hit in eight of his last 10 in Pittsburgh and attempted no fewer than five shots in any of those games. He's generating enough volume to get the job done every single night.

Although the Senators are a competent defensive side in preventing shots, their numbers are much worse on the road. I think they can be had; expect Letang to generate his fair share of shots.

Connor McDavid over 3.5 shots (-115)

I love, love, love, McDavid in this spot. Love him. He's gone over his shot total in 66% of his games this season, including a ridiculous 74% hit rate on home ice.

If we isolate the last 20 home dates, he's registered at least four shots on 16 occasions, falling one shy in all of the exceptions. He's cooking.

Now a scorching-hot McDavid draws a putrid Sharks team that's seen the bottom fall out since the deadline. San Jose has won only once in eight tries, its five-on-five numbers have plummeted, and the team has been taking a ton of penalties.

I don't think the Sharks have the depth or defensive prowess to hold up at five-on-five. Their recent tendency to parade to the box should also serve McDavid well considering he leads the Oilers in power-play shots this season.

There's a ton to like about McDavid in this spot. Quite frankly, I think this price would be better served attached to 4.5 shots, not 3.5.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson opened up about the frightening injury that's kept him out of the lineup since Christmas.

The 33-year-old was struck in the head by a Brednen Dillon slap shot in a Dec. 23 matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, which caused a skull fracture and a severed temporal artery.

"I just got struck by lightning," Carlson said, per The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir. "That’s the only way to describe it."

He added: "There’s always close calls. There’s always a lot of, 'Oh man, that could have hurt or that could have been bad' times. This was bad. It’s a one-in-a-million thing - and it happened to me."

Carlson was taken to hospital for evaluation after the game, and the Capitals ruled him out indefinitely the following day.

"It was bleeding so much," Carlson said. "The only way I could describe it is, just survival."

Carlson is back skating and is on the verge of returning to Washington's lineup. An exact date hasn't been identified yet, but the club's top blue-liner is adamant on playing again this season despite the Capitals being all but out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"It was a lot of work and time put in," he said. "At three months, medically, there’s no more healing that can happen. This is what I do, this is what I want to do. So that’s the decision."

Carlson has spent his entire 14-year career in D.C. after he was drafted 27th overall in 2008. He's been top five in Norris Trophy voting three times, and is the franchise's all-time leader in points by a defenseman with 614.

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