The Penguins fail to stay hot in California, getting outclassed in a 5-1 loss against the Ducks in Anaheim on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered a critical loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, dropping further down the NHL standings.

It won’t be the best matchup when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks meet on Thursday night. Both teams are in seventh in their respective divisions, with the Penguins heading for a rebuild and the Ducks still trying to emerge from their lengthy quest to be contenders.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks are both hoping to turn their seasons around. Neither team was a playoff team last year, and they're not off to a good start this year. Pittsburgh came ...

The Anaheim Ducks hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at Honda Center. The Ducks entered this game on a four-game winless streak and had only won one of their last seven games. The Pens were fresh off a big 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday but had only won three of their last 13 entering this game.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust suffered an undisclosed injury and prematurely exited a 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on Thursday. Aside from a posting on one of the team’s social media accounts acknowledging the ailment,

The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-22-8) continue to waste opportunities to win games and move up in the wildcard race, this time losing 5-1 to the 28th-ranked Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey reviews the scheduled games and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will win in head-to-head matchups.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-21-8) again have a chance to get back to hockey .500, but more importantly, stack wins on a pivotal seven-game road trip. Thus far, the Penguins are 2-1-0 in the first three games and inching back into the continually mediocre middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Mason McTavish had two goals for the second straight game, Jansen Harkins and Trevor Zegras scored as the Ducks beat Predators 5-2, snapping Nashville’s five-game winning streak.

Thursday’s NHL play will see the Pittsburgh Penguins (20-21-8) take the ice against the Anaheim Ducks (18-23-6), starting at 10:00 PM ET at Honda Center and broadcast on ESPN+. The Penguins are 13th (with 48 points) in the Eastern Conference and the Ducks are 13th (42 points) in the Western Conference.