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Penguins face struggling Senators without Hossa

Mar 1, 2008 - 11:29 AM Pittsburgh (36-22-7) at Ottawa (36-23-6) 3:00 pm EST

OTTAWA (Ticker) -- All-Star Marian Hossa will not get the chance to face his original team Saturday, when his new club - the Pittsburgh Penguins - visits the Ottawa Senators.

The Penguins' star acquisition at Tuesday's trade deadline, Hossa will not be in the lineup Saturday afternoon. The former Senator left his first game with Pittsburgh on Thursday in the second period after colliding knees with Glen Murray in a 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Hossa recorded 26 goals and 56 points in 60 contests with the Thrashers before being traded.

The Penguins did get an early return from Pascal Dupuis, who scored the team's lone goal in the setback to Boston. Dupuis also arrived from Atlanta in the deal involving Hossa.

Ottawa enters Saturday's game in an unfamiliar position. For the first time this season, the Senators are not in first place.

Having netted just one goal during its current three-game losing streak, Ottawa has fallen one point behind the Montreal Canadiens in the Northeast Division standings. The Senators are just 4-8-2 in their last 14 games, with their last victory coming in overtime at Pittsburgh on February 23.

Jason Spezza ended Ottawa's goalless drought of over 146 minutes in the second period of Thursday's 3-1 loss at Philadelphia but was involved in a scrum with Flyers goaltender Martin Biron immediately after scoring and received a five-minute major for butt-ending and a game misconduct.