The Ottawa Senators spoiled Mike Vernon’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction celebration night in Detroit with a 5-1 victory over the Red Wings on Saturday night. This was already the third matchup of the season between these two teams, with their previous game resulting in the Senators winning 5-4 in overtime in Sweden despite holding a 4-0 at one point in that game.
In this article, we look at some of the takeaways for the Senators in what was another eventful, high-stakes game between two divisional opponents.
A Fast Pace, High-Intensity Matchup
Both teams were intense out of the gates in what looked like an exciting, fast-paced Saturday night game at first. But a scary injury in the middle of the first period would be a huge turning point.
During a Red Wings power play, a net-front battle ended with Dylan Larkin finding himself immobile, face-first on the ice as a result of Mathieu Joseph cross-checking him in the neck, Parker Kelly clipping in the face during his fall, and Artem Zub accidentally falling on top of him. Luckily, the Detroit Red Wings captain could get up by himself.
In the end, the Senators got two minor penalties for roughing, and David Perron got a match penalty for intent to injure on the play after he retaliated against Zub. The newly signed Patrick Kane erased the one-goal lead moments following the injury, but Larkin’s absence as the heart and soul of the team was evident as soon as the Senators scored their second goal.
Strong Offense and Power Play on Display
The Senators once again found themselves on the scoresheet pretty often in this game and have now scored 14 goals in their past three games. Their power play also played a noticeable and played in a considerable part.
Claude Giroux opened the scoring for the Senators when he potted a rebound from a Jakob Chychrun point shot on an early first-period power play. The beginning of the second period was a repeat for the Senators. Vladimir Tarasenko silenced a chanting crowd in Detroit by beating Alex Lyon, who was eventually pulled from the game, with a one-timer for the team’s second power-play goal.
Later in the same period, the Senators added to their lead with two goals by Dominik Kubalik and Tim Stutzle. Jake Sanderson hit a post in the middle of the third period but still found an opportunity to score when he sent the puck across the ice in an empty cage.
Overall, the Senators connected well and moved the puck efficiently in all zones to generate quality offensive chances. Their defensive play was also more structured than usual, but it’s another piece on the team really gave them an edge tonight.
Korpisalo a Force in Net
A lot of credit can be given to the offense, but Joonas Korpisalo deserves recognition for having played an exceptional game. He showed us what former general manager Pierre Dorion saw in him when he signed him to a five-year, $20 million contract this offseason.
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From the moment he robbed Kane on a 2-on-1 at the beginning of the first period, it was evident that he was dialed in. He controlled a lot of the rebounds and remained calm throughout the game despite getting peppered in shots. In the third period, he made a lot of Sens fans happy when he robbed Alex DeBrincat on a dangerous scoring chance.
Showtime would be the only player to find the back of the net for Detroit, but Korpisalo still got the last laugh and finished with 30 saves on the night.
Revenge Tour Against the Hurricanes
The Senators will be looking to build on this strong performance when the Carolina Hurricanes visit the Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday. Defeating the Red Wings put the Senators back to a .500 win percentage, and they now have an 11-11-0 record.
It’s true that the Hurricanes have struggled recently, but they remain a competitive team nonetheless. Let’s not forget that they convincingly beat the Senators in their season openers. So whether or not DJ Smith’s team is up to the challenge will tell us a lot about them going forward.