DETROIT, MI — The gap between the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators was vast when the teams met in a pair of games in late February.
The Senators crushed whatever lingering playoff dreams the Red Wings had by defeating them 6-2 and 6-1.
Perhaps the gap has closed after eight months. Both teams have three-game winning streaks entering today’s matchup at Canadian Tire Centre (1 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit).
Alex DeBrincat, who is tied for the NHL scoring lead with eight points (five goals), will play his first game against his former Ottawa team since being traded to Detroit.
“There’s a lot of skill on both teams,” DeBrincat remarked. “Both teams want to play north and at high speeds. It should be a good time. Obviously, it’s still early in the year, but every point counts. It’s a significant one in the division.”
“We were playing well at the time, and we went in there and they kind of gave it to us physically,” Larkin was quoted as saying. “They were more emotionally invested in it.” There are no scores to settle. It’s a new season, and we’ve got a new crew. But the guys that were there last year know what it’s like to walk into that building.”
“I think we kind of hunkered down harder and played with a lot more intensity,” DeBrincat said of those games.
In the days that followed, the Red Wings traded Tyler Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek, Oskar Sundqvist, and Jakub Vrana, albeit a handful of them would have been moved regardless of the outcome of those games.
The Senators finished six points ahead of the Red Wings but were still eliminated from the playoffs by six points.
“The visual is what it is,” remarked Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde. “We would have recovered from that.” We played games like that all year. It just so happened to be right before the (trade) deadline. I have no doubt that we would have done the same thing at the deadline if we could have won those two games.
“I don’t want to minimize (this game), but it’s just another game against a top team in the league that’s proven to be possibly as good as there is in our division.” You look at their lineup, their 12 forwards, their six defensemen, who they traded for their goalkeeper, and this is a true top club in our league.”
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