Senators score 5 goals on special teams in win against Red Wings

DETROIT --The Ottawa Senators scored five special-teams goals in a 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

Drake Batherson scored twice, Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist, and Alex DeBrincat had three assists for Ottawa (14-14-2), which won its fourth straight. Cam Talbot made 29 saves.
"After the start we had, I think we should be proud of getting back to .500 this quickly," Giroux said. "There was a point where it didn't look good for us, but we started putting some games together and found a way to be consistent."
Ottawa, which had three power-play goals and two short-handed goals, hadn't scored five special-team goals in a game since an 8-2 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 3, 2008 (two power-play goals, three short-handed).
"Five is a lot," DeBrincat said. "It's nice to get the power play going like this, and the penalty kill was pretty good. Only giving up a 5-on-3 is good when you consider how many penalties we took."
Ville Husso made 22 saves for Detroit (13-11-6), which has lost five straight (0-4-1), and was 1-for-7 on the power play.
"When you allow five goals on special teams, you aren't going to have a chance," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "What's really disappointing is that two of the three power-play goals were literally from our stick to their stick and in. You have a broken play and it is in the back of the net."
Joe Veleno gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead 2:32 into the game, sneaking a shot through Talbot's legs from the right face-off dot.

Batherson made it 1-1 at 12:47, bouncing a sharp-angle shot in off Husso's right shoulder.
"I had some time over there after a nice play by [DeBrincat] and I saw a little opening and tried to surprise the goalie," Batherson said. "I think it went in off his helmet or something."
Jake Walman's point shot deflected in off Adam Erne's chest to put Detroit up 2-1 at 14:56.
Thomas Chabot scored a power-play goal from the point at 18:42 to make it 2-2.
Batherson got his second of the game at 1:40 of the second period, knocking in a loose puck for Ottawa's second power-play goal of the game.
Filip Hronek scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 12:14 to make it 3-3.
Giroux scored Ottawa's third power-play goal of the game at 8:14 of the third period to put the Senators up 4-3, and Tyler Motte made it 5-3 with a short-handed goal at 12:48.

"Early in the year, we were getting the big save or the big goal at the right time, and right now, that's not happening for us," Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. "We have to find a way to get that, whatever it takes."
Austin Watson scored Ottawa's second short-handed goal of the game into the empty net at 16:49 to make it 6-3.
"In November, we probably find a way to lose that game, because we weren't comfortable in those situations," Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said. "But after everything we've learned together, we know that we can elevate our game even more in the situations where it means the most."
NOTES:DeBrincat's assisted on Ottawa's first three goals following assists on its last three in a 3-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, making him the first player in Senators history with six assists on consecutive goals within a regular season. The previous record was five, co-held by Erik Karlsson, Filip Kuba and Daniel Alfredsson. ... The Red Wings hadn't allowed five special-teams goals in a game since a 6-0 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 19, 2013. No Red Wings remain on the roster from that game, but current Detroit forward David Perron played for the Blues. … Only 37:15 of the game Saturday was played 5-on-5.