The goal horn was silenced on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre as the Detroit Red Wings shut out the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-0.
Detroit needed less than a minute to put this game out of reach. They scored two goals just 39 seconds apart in the first period. Danny DeKeyser scored the game winner at 12:04, while Darren Helm scored the insurance marker shortly after.
A pretty passing play resulted in the Detroit defenseman having all kinds of time to wind up and hammer a shot past Senators goalie Craig Anderson for the first goal. The second goal resulted from a brutal giveaway by the home team on their blue line, which ultimately had Helm barreling down on Anderson. With a nifty move, Helm baited the goalie out of position, before pulling the puck around him and sending it into the open cage.
Feelin’ The Bern
Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier stopped all 35 shots launched by the Senators, who outshot their opponent by a wide margin. 14 to be exact. The Detroit backup goaltender was recognized as the game’s first star for his efforts on a perfect game.
Members of the Ottawa Senators were not shy in giving Bernier his due credit.
“Their goalie played well, and to be honest with you, they did a terrific job of blocking shot lanes as well“, said Senators head coach Guy Boucher following the match. “Their goalie played solid and controlled a lot of the rebounds. But also, their players were willing to pay the price to block shots”.
“We had lots of shots but their goalie played well. He didn’t give up a lot of second chances in front of the net. We couldn’t find a way to get one past him tonight. It was a bit frustrating” said Senators forward Zack Smith.
Battle Of The Basement
The frustration continues for the Senators, who sit dead last in the NHL. After 52 games, Ottawa owns a paltry record of 19-28-5 and remains stuck at 43 points. In addition, the team from Canada’s capital is currently riding a four-game losing streak. This includes back-to-back losses since returning to action after the All-Star break.
Detroit, on the other hand, is not fairing much better despite their latest victory. The team from Motor City ranks one better than Ottawa in the Atlantic Division and sits 27th overall in the league. Detroit’s record is only 21-25-7, and they own 49 points this season.
Snap Shots
- Mikkel Boedker, who scored a power-play goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, did not dress in this game due to an undisclosed injury. As a result, Rudolfs Balcers was called up from the Belleville Senators to fill the vacant forward position. Following the game, Boucher exhibited his excitement about the 21-year-old Latvian: “He’s very, very smart. He’s an NHL thinker. He does all the right things with the puck.”
- Anderson’s glove save off a Justin Abdelkader breakaway in the third period was easily his best, and arguably, the biggest save of the game.
- Following this game, Detroit general manager Ken Holland earned his 914th career regular-season win as an NHL GM. All have come with the Red Wings. This milestone is especially impressive because it placed him ahead of Jack Adams for the most in franchise history.
- After this game, Ottawa owns a record of 2-7-2 in the second of back-to-back game scenarios this season.
Official 3 Stars of the Game
- Jonathan Bernier, Detroit
- Danny DeKeyser, Detroit
- Darren Helm, Detroit
Up Next
The Ottawa Senators are off until Wednesday when they visit southern Ontario to take on their provincial rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will be the second matchup between these teams this year. Ottawa surprised Toronto in a 5-3 upset at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 6. Toronto ranks second in the Atlantic Division and seventh in the NHL with 63 points and a record of 30-17-3.
Scoring Summary
| Per | Team Score Time |
Goal | Assists |
| 1 | Detroit 1-0 12:04 |
Danny DeKeyser (3) | Thomas Vanek (15) Nick Jensen (10) |
| 1 | Detroit 2-0 12:43 |
Darren Helm (4) | Martin Frk (4) Luke Glendening (10) |
Cover Photo Credit: Fred Chartrand / The Canadian Press
Billy Morrison covers the Ottawa Senators and the Atlantic Division for Full Press Coverage. Follow Billy on Twitter, @BillyMorrison01.
