The Sports Xchange
By Paul Harris, The Sports Xchange
Senators 6, Red Wings 1
DETROIT — Jason Spezza and Bobby Ryan each scored twice, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Detroit Red Wings 6-1 at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday night.
The Senators spoiled Daniel Alfredsson’s first game against the team for which he played 17 seasons and captained 13 seasons before signing a one-year, $5.5 million free agent contract with Detroit in July.
Eric Gryba and Jared Cowen also scored for Ottawa (4-3-2). Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris each had two assists and Craig Anderson made 27 saves.
Todd Bertuzzi scored for Detroit (6-4-1), which lost its third straight. Jimmy Howard made five saves on eight shots before being replaced by Jonas Gustavsson with 5:46 left in the first period. Gustavsson stopped 17 shots.
Ottawa’s Craig Anderson made 31 saves for the win.
The Senators led 3-1 after the first period, and they chased Howard after jumping to a 3-0 lead.
Gryba scored his first goal of the season at 5:46. Spezza (10:48) and Ryan (14:14) connected on the power play for their first tallies of the game.
Gustavsson replaced Howard after Ryan’s goal, and Bertuzzi’s power-play goal put the Red Wings on the board at 16:14 of the opening period. It was Bertuzzi’s third goal.
Spezza got his second goal of the game and seventh of the season 5:12 into the second period, putting in his own rebound when the puck came off the glass behind Gustavsson.
Cowen got his second goal of the season 1:50 into the third period. Ryan picked up his second of the game and sixth of the season at 6:13 of the third.
NOTE: Detroit D Niklas Kronwall returned after missing two games with a slight concussion suffered Thursday in Colorado. Avalanche LW Cody McLeod was suspended five games for the hit from behind. … Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean was a Red Wings assistant coach under current Detroit coach Mike Babcock. Also, Senators GM Bryan Murray is a former GM and coach of the Red Wings. … The Red Wings recalled D Xavier Ouellet from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. … Spezza played junior hockey with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Windsor is across the Detroit River from Detroit. … Senators D Joe Corvo played at Western Michigan University. … The teams met for the first game as division rivals. The NHL’s realignment landed both in the Atlantic Division.
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