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Detroit Red Wings expect 'intense' matchup with division rival Ottawa Senators

helene st. james, detroit free press
·4 min read
2

After a month of facing — and defeating — a slew of playoff-positioned opponents, the last game of January carries a different kind of challenge.

The Ottawa Senators are on the slate for Wednesday, in what will be the Detroit Red Wings' last game before an extended break. The Atlantic Division rivals have a recent history that has been marred with ugliness: In December at Little Caesars Arena, the game turned ugly in the first period; in Sweden in mid-November, the Wings had to rally from a four-goal deficit to earn a point; in February of last year, in Ottawa, the Wings were bulldozed in back-to-back outings.

'We've had a history with them the past couple seasons, so I'm sure it will be intense like every time we play them," Larkin said Monday. "That's what I expect: A good hockey game. We need to tie up the series against them for this season."

No one on the Wings has more personal history with the Senators than Larkin, who endured a scary incident in the Dec. 9 game when he briefly lost consciousness. During a battle in front of the net in the first period, Mathieu Joseph punched Larkin in the back of the head, sending him into Parker Kelly, who cross-checked Larkin in the process. Larkin missed four games, while David Perron served a six-game suspension for a vicious crosscheck on Artem Zub.

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Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings is helped off the ice by teammates after being injured in the first period while playing the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 9, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan.
Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings is helped off the ice by teammates after being injured in the first period while playing the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 9, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan.

Larkin and Joseph have history dating to the season opener in 2021, when Joseph was playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Larkin punched Joseph in the head, and ended up with a one-game suspension.

Joseph has said he reached out to Larkin over what happened in December, but Larkin said last month he didn't want to comment on that, and reiterated that stance this week. "I don't want to go there," he said. "I don't feel there's a reason to dig up old stuff."

The Wings did dig up those 6-2 and 6-1 losses from last season — which came the week of the trade deadline, and preceded general manager Steve Yzerman making significant changes over the coming days — when the teams met Oct. 21 in Ottawa, and the Wings harnessed their emotions to come away with a 5-2 victory. The same kind of approach is needed as the Senators come to LCA with a 2-1 lead in the season series.

"I think the message is going to be, manage your emotions," coach Derek Lalonde said. "Push back and (don't) take anything like that personal, but it's about winning the game and getting the two points.

"It was a very, very emotional game that night, that even hung with us for a while. We did a good job of getting past it, but, it's another hockey game that we want to compete in at a high level, and that's it."

The Wings (26-18-5) have won three of the last four games and are inside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference while the Senators (18-25-2) are at the bottom of the conference.

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"I think they're probably looking to get hot and get on a run and see what can happen," Larkin said. "We've been in that spot. You look for anything to get your team going.

Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his first-period goal with Alex DeBrincat of the Detroit Red Wings while playing the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 9, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.
Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his first-period goal with Alex DeBrincat of the Detroit Red Wings while playing the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 9, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.

"We're going to need a good start. We're going to need to play good defense against their offense and make it hard on their top players."

Patrick Kane (lower body) took part in Monday's practice but was not on a regular line, and Lalonde said there was still a question as to whether Kane will play Wednesday.

"He looks pretty good," Lalonde said. "I just think it's going to be a tough call of, is it worth getting him in on Wednesday, or give him the extra eight days?"

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

Next up: Senators

Matchup: Red Wings (26-18-5) vs. Ottawa (18-25-2 entering Monday).

Faceoff: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings on facing Ottawa Senators: 'It will be intense'