Senators at Red Wings
Having finally put an end to a pair of lengthy droughts, the Detroit Red Wings attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks when they host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. Detroit snapped a seven-game winless streak and a head-scratching eight-game skid at home with Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. "Obviously we needed the win," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "It was a good win for us. There were a lot of positives."
The Senators are mired in a slump of their own, getting outscored 13-6 during a three-game losing streak. They won't have to face former long-time captain Daniel Alfredsson, who signed with Detroit in the offseason but is expected to miss his fifth consecutive game with a groin injury - putting somewhat of a damper on his bobblehead night. Ottawa ended a four-game losing streak to the Red Wings with a resounding 6-1 victory in Detroit on Oct. 23.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE SENATORS (8-10-4): There's no secret why Ottawa is struggling - it is allowing a full goal per game more than the team that made a surprising run to the playoffs last season. Craig Anderson, who led the league in goals-against average (1.69) last season, is wobbling along with a 3.31 mark after surrendering 29 tallies over his past seven starts. Coach Paul MacLean put off his choice of naming a starter for Saturday, but he switched up his lines by moving center Mika Zibanejad between Milan Michalek and captain Jason Spezza.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (10-6-7): Gustav Nyquist was recalled from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League on Thursday and quickly made a big impression, scoring twice against Carolina to earn a promotion for the remainder of the season. Detroit had to return Nyquist to the minors before playing one more NHL game or risk losing him via waivers, so his timing was impeccable. “With Nyquist here we’re slowly looking like we’re going to put four lines together,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “Hopefully we can get some scoring up and down the lineup. We haven’t had that.”
OVERTIME
1. G Jimmy Howard will be back in net Saturday after sitting out versus the Hurricanes with the flu.
2. D Erik Karlsson, Ottawa's leading scorer, has 14 points in his last 12 games.
3. Spezza and LW Bobby Ryan scored two goals apiece in Ottawa's 6-1 rout of Detroit last month.