GAMEDAY PREVIEW Game 5: Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators

The Detroit Red Wings are coming in off three straight wins, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Pittsburgh Penguins; they have outscored their opponents 16-7 in those three games and 19-11 in all four games this season. The Ottawa Senators are also coming in off winning three straight as they’ve beaten the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals; they have outscored their opponents in those games 16-5 and this season 19-10.

Detroit Red Wings (3-1-0, 6 Points) vs. Ottawa Senators (3-1-0, 6 Points)

When: Saturday, October 21
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Canadian Tire Centre (Ottawa, ON)
TV: Bally Sports Detroit

Scoring Leaders

What To Watch

This is a renewed rivalry that started last season on February 27; that game ultimately took the Red Wings out of the playoff chase with a 6-2 loss, and that night, things got chippy between the two teams. They would then face off the very next day on the 28th, and in that game, the Red Wings lost again 6-1, and things got even more heated with the Red Wings recording 33 PIM and the Senators recording 27 PIM. The Red Wings decided to add some toughness this offseason with the addition of Klim Kostin, who isn’t afraid to take on any opponent so that this game will be played a little differently than last year, and this is turning into a rivalry and should continue to escalate this season.

This is a return for Alex DeBrincat, who played last season with the Senators and recorded 66 points on 27 goals and 39 assists. Dominik Kubalik will also be facing his former team, the Red Wings, for the first time as he played 81 games last year, recording 45 points on 20 goals and 25 assists.

The Senators went out and knew they had the toughness now; they needed the goal-scoring, and this offseason, they brought in Vladimir Tarasenko, who, through four games for Ottawa, has put up six points on two goals and four assists.

By The Numbers:

Red Wings Player to Watch: Alex DeBrincat

DeBrincat has gotten off to a hot start for the Red Wings. In his first four games in a winged wheel sweater, he has eight points, which leads the league, coming off five goals, which ranks second in all of hockey, and three assists; he is also plus three. He has played in 454 games and recorded 381 points in his career, coming off 192 goals and 189 assists.

Alex DeBrincat’s Line Assignments

DeBrincat plays on the first line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. He plays on the first power-play unit alongside Larkin, David Perron, Moritz Seider, and Shayne Gostisbehere.

DeBrincat’s career vs. Ottawa

In his career against Ottawa, he has played in seven games and recorded six points, coming on four goals and two assists, and is a plus-one.

Between the Pipes:

Detroit: Ville Husso (2-1-0, 3.37 GAA)

Husso this season has played in three games, posting a .881 save percentage. Last season against Ottawa, Husso made two starts, going 0-2-0 and giving up 11 goals; in his career against the Senators, he has played in three games, going 1-2-0 and giving up 13 goals against 74 shots.

Ottawa: Joonas Korpisalo (1-1-0, 3.53 GAA)

Korpisalo this season, has made two starts to begin the season, going 1-1-0 with a .894 save percentage and a 3.53 GAA. Last season against the Red Wings, he made two starts, going 0-2-0 and giving up ten goals; in his career against the Red Wings, he has made ten starts, going 6-3-0 and giving up 30 goals on 281 shots.

Wrap Up

This game will be a test for the Red Wings, who are off to a great start this season. Three teams in the Atlantic Division are going through a rebuild and are nearing the end of their rebuild process, and that is the Buffalo Sabres and these two teams playing today. If the Red Wings can come out with two points in this one, it’ll show they are on their way up in 2023-24.

In their last ten matchups, the Red Wings are 2-7-1 against Ottawa and have been outscored 44-24. Last season against the Senators, the Red Wings went 1-3-0 and were outscored 20-10.