If that was the Detroit Red Wings’ version of playoff hockey, it doesn’t bode well for their wild-card chase.
They were beaten up two straight nights by the Ottawa Senators., losing 6-1 Tuesday at Canadian Tire Centre after losing by a four-goal margin 24 hours earlier. The Wings came into the mini-series full of hope and swagger, but the Senators punched them in the face and pocketed four points. Ville Husso (21 saves) didn’t get much help, and for a second time in his young career, Mads Sogaard (16 saves) earned a victory against the Wings, who passed on him in the 2019 draft. The Wings went 0-for-8 in 13:29 minutes of power play time while the Senators went 2-for-6 in 6:13.
Top-four defenseman Filip Hronek left in the second period after sustaining an upper-body injury and will be reevaluated once back in Detroit.
Slip-slidin’ away
The Wings (28-24-8) have now lost three in a row after winning nine of their previous 12 to briefly slip into a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have one game left, Thursday at home against the Seattle Kraken, before Friday’s trade deadline.
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The Wings are still in the race for a playoff spot, but they entered the week seeking to make gains in the standings while keeping the Senators from doing so, which is why captain Dylan Larkin said that, “we are treating this like our playoffs.” But after being pushed around Monday in a 6-2 loss, the Wings’ response was to fall behind by three goals in the first period Tuesday.
How it went
That it would be another chippy game was evident five minutes in, when the Wings were three deep in their penalty box and the Senators two deep in theirs. The Wings scored first, again; this night it was Dominik Kubalik taking advantage of a Senators line change to make it 1-0. But then officials awarded Tim Stützle a penalty shot despite minimal interference by Hronek, and Stützle made it 1-1. A couple of Michiganders were next: Austin Watson (Ann Arbor) scored shorthanded and at even strength, and Alex DeBrincat (Farmington Hills) converted on a power play.
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That was just the first period.
Second thoughts
The teams made it seven minutes into the second period before either side took a penalty, but with Joe Veleno and Travis Hamonic serving offsetting minors, Larkin ended up in the box, too, for interference on Brady Tkachuk. The Senators took advantage to make it 5-1, with a goal from Claude Giroux. Tkachuk scored in the third period, making it six unanswered goals for the Senators, a night after they scored the final five against the Wings.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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