Red Wings 4, Senators 2
OTTAWA -- The Detroit Red Wings spoke of how they wanted to win for winger Daniel Alfredsson, who was making his first return to Canadian Tire Centre after 18 years as an Ottawa Senators player.
Alfredsson helped them accomplish just that, scoring a goal and an assist in a 4-2 victory at the Senators' sold-out home rink Sunday night.
The Wings (14-7-7) also avenged two earlier home losses to Ottawa this season by improving their winning streak to four games.
The loss was the third in four games for the Senators (10-13-4), who have also lost four in a row at home.
Red Wings winger Drew Miller led the way for the winners with two goals, while winger Johan Franzen had the other. Winger Clarke MacArthur and winger Mika Zibanejad replied for the Senators.
Detroit goalie Jonas Gustavsson faced 32 shots while Senators goalie Robin Lehner was tested 22 times.
Miller's fourth goal of the season at 1:58 of the third period gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead, but Zibanejad narrowed the gap with Lehner on the bench and 1:21 left on the clock.
Alfredsson ended any hope of a comeback by scoring into an empty net with 1:03 to go.
Franzen opened the scoring at 8:22 of the second period with his seventh goal of the season, a wrist shot from the top of the left wing faceoff circle that beat Lehner high to the glove side. Alfredsson earned an assist on the goal.
Less than three minutes later, Miller took a cross slot pass from center Tomas Tatar and one-timed a shot off the post past an outstretched Lehner.
MacArthur scored his eighth off a scramble at the 14:14 mark of the middle period, sliding a shot through a crowd of Red Wings in front of Gustavsson.
The Red Wings won 67 percent of first-period faceoffs, but because Ottawa had the only two power plays, the teams were tied 10-10 on the shot clock at the intermission.
The best save of the opening frame belonged to Lehner, who stoned Darren Helm on a clear breakaway in the 12th minute.
NOTES: Between the national anthems and the opening faceoff, Red Wings RW Daniel Alfredsson was honored with a video tribute and crowd ovation that lasted two minutes and 44 seconds. The face of the organization for most of his 18 years in Ottawa, Alfredsson skated from the bench to center ice with his stick raised to say thanks, then appeared to ask the referees to start the game. ... Senators D Marc Methot was a late scratch because of a flu. Taking his place was D Jared Cowen, who was headed to a seat in the press box for a second consecutive game. ... Detroit was without two veterans, C Pavel Datsyuk (concussion) and RW Todd Bertuzzi (shoulder) ... Red Wings G Jonas Gustavsson started for the fifth time in the team's past eight games. G Robin Lehner stared for the fifth time in Ottawa's past seven games. Both Gustavsson and Lehner entered the season as backup goalies. Their second-string status is now up for debate.
