That the Pittsburgh Penguins’ shutout of Colorado on Thursday may be a turning point in the season rather than just a good one has been dashed.

What they thought would be the beginning of a winning run turned out to be nothing more than a smudge, as the momentum they gained from defeating one of the best teams in the NHL evaporated in a 5-2 loss to Ottawa on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.

The Senators, who the Penguins are expected to compete with for a berth in the Eastern Conference playoff field, moved to 4-4 after dropping their previous three games, while the Penguins, who have now lost four of their last five games, plummeted to 3-5 after the loss.

Colorado, conversely, had come to town after winning an NHL-record 15 consecutive regular-season road games.