Well that certainly could have gone better.
After a promising win over an Edmonton Oilers team that has been one of the best in the NHL over the past month, the Pittsburgh Penguins faced a huge set of home games against the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Two teams they are competing with in the Eastern Conference for a Wild Card spot.
Two teams that were sandwiched around them in the standings.
Four potentially big points that could have set the stage for how the second half of the season could have gone, and four potentially big points at home just before the start of an extended seven-game road trip.