DETROIT (AP) — Drake Batherson had two goals, Claude Giroux snapped a third-period tie and the Ottawa Senators beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 on Saturday for their fourth consecutive victory.
Thomas Chabot, Tyler Motte and Austin Watson also scored for the Senators, who improved to 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Alex DeBrincat had three assists for the second consecutive game while extending his point streak to eight in a row.
Brady Tkachuk also had three assists, and Cam Talbot made 29 saves. Ottawa scored three power-play goals and two more short-handed.
“In November, we probably find a way to lose this game, but we have more confidence in how we play,” Tkachuk said. “We’ve learned so much that now we’re confident in these situations when we weren’t before.”
Ottawa outscored Detroit 3-0 in the third period.
“You’ve got to get every point you can and we’re grinding,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said. “We know the way we have to play, and we got away from it in the second, but I thought we got back to it in the third.”
Joe Veleno, Adam Erne and Filip Hronek scored for the Red Wings, who are winless in their last five games. Ville Husso recorded 22 saves.
“Early in the year we were getting the big save at the right time, the big (penalty) kill, the big goal,” said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who returned after a one-game absence due to a hand injury. “Right now, it’s not happening for us.”
Veleno’s shot from the right circle trickled through Talbot’s pads for a 1-0 lead 2:32 into the game. It was Veleno’s first goal since Nov. 17, stopping a 12-game drought.
The game was tied at 2 after the first period. Batherson and Chabot scored for Ottawa in the first, and Erne also scored for Detroit.
Batherson banged in a power-play rebound 1:40 into the second, lifting the Senators a 3-2 lead.
“Really disappointing that two of the three (power-play) goals were literally from our stick to their stick,” Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “Broken plays, back of the net. Not a lot structure to that, it’s just poor execution and not getting the clear.”
Detroit tied it again when Hronek scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 12:14.
Giroux scored the Senators’ third power-play goal with 11:46 left, ripping a shot from the right circle that beat Husso on the stick side.
“I didn’t think we were playing well in the first two periods, but the power play did a good job of keeping us in the game,” Giroux said. “The third period was probably our best, because we played responsible hockey.”
Short-handed goals by Motte and Watson provided some breathing room.
“When you’re involved with five goals against on special teams,” Lalonde said, “you’ll have zero chance.”
ICE CHIPS
It was the first of three meetings between Ottawa and Detroit this month. ... Red Wings F Elmer Soderblom got his first career assist on Veleno’s goal. ... The Senators have won seven of the last eight meetings. ... DeBrincat has 26 points in 17 career games against Detroit.
UP NEXT
Senators: Visit Minnesota on Sunday.
Red Wings: Visit Washington on Monday.
