Alex DeBrincat was booed loudly in his return to Ottawa as the Senators fell 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings.
After enjoying a pair of 5-2 victories at home last weekend, the Ottawa Senators got a taste of their own medicine Saturday afternoon. Their modest three-game winning streak is over after a 5-2 loss to the visiting Detroit Red Wings.
Joe Veleno scored twice and Dylan Larkin chipped in with a goal and two assists.
Alex DeBrincat was held off the scoresheet in his return to Ottawa and was booed every time he touched the puck. He and Sens captain Brady Tkachuk had some strong words for each other during a first-period scrum. Tkachuk got jumped by four Red Wing players and, as the scrum was breaking up, he and DeBrincat really didn't seem happy with each other.
The Senators outshot Detroit 14-3 in the first period. Jake Sanderson gave them the early lead on a shot from the point for his third goal, matching his total from all of last season.
The referees definitely left their mark on the game with seven minor penalties called in each of the first and second periods, several of them questionable...on both sides. None more so than Ridly Greig's roughing call after a textbook hit on Alex DeBrincat.
The Wings immediately tied the game on the ensuing power play and the game's momentum changed completely after that, with Detroit scoring five unanswered goals. For the first time since the loss to Carolina, the Sens were snakebitten, missing some great chances to put the game out of reach early. Parker Kelly, for one, will have nightmares tonight about not burying what looked like an easy backhander on an almost completely open net.
Joonas Korpisalo had a fair stretch where he made a number of huge saves, but when all the smoke had cleared, he had allowed 5 goals on 23 shots and was badly outplayed by Detroit's Ville Husso who finished the day with 35 saves.
The play of the game was the pass from Christian Fischer from behind the net that completely fooled Korpisalo and both Ottawa defenders. As everyone chased to stop Fischer from walking out at the far post, he sneakily dropped it to Veleno, who was all alone out front, back at the opposite post. Veleno had an open net and put Detroit ahead to stay.
After the game, the Senators re-assigned defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker to Belleville, which probably means Artem Zub will be ready to play Tuesday against Buffalo, as the Senators close out their five game homestand. Craig Anderson will reportedly be signing a one day contract to retire as a Senator.