The Penguins have put themselves in a tough position towards making the playoffs.

The Penguins have only 15 regulation wins in their last 46 games. That collapse has dropped them from a second seed in the beginning of January to being tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the seventh seed.

With only three games remaining, the pens hold a two-point lead on the Ottawa Senators for that last playoff spot.

The Penguins have their most important game thus far as they take on Ottawa in their next game Tuesday night. Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff birth with a win in regulation, but a loss in regulation will tie the two teams with 95 points. A loss in overtime would give the Pens just a one-point lead.

Each team has three games remaining. After Tuesday’s matchup against the Senators, the Penguins play the New York Islanders in their final home game, and then they play the Buffalo Sabers, who currently have the worst record in the league.

Ottawa then plays the current top seed in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers, and then round things out against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Detroit plays the Carolina Hurricanes twice and the Montreal Canadians in their final three games of the season.

For this upcoming game being the most important for the Pens, they are not coming hot. The Pens are on a three-game losing streak with two losses to the Flyers and one to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins led at one point in all of those games.

The only bright spot is that despite losing 4-1 on Sunday against the Flyers, they out shot Philadelphia, 47-20.

Penguins center Brandon Sutter told reporters after the game:

“We’re in the driver’s seat here. “[Sunday], with the way we played, we just have to keep going with that. If we get that many shots every night we’re going to be just fine. No reason to pout. We’ve just gotta keep going. Big game coming up.”

The Penguins’ Stanley Cup dreams are on the line in these last three games of the season.