PREVIEW: DeBrincat, Red Wings open weekend back-to-back Saturday afternoon at Senators 

OTTAWA – As Alex DeBrincat returns to Ottawa for the first time since being traded from the Senators to the Detroit Red Wings on July 9, the 25-year-old forward is embracing the opportunity to face his former club Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre.

“I still formed some great relationships there and have a lot of good buddies on that team,” said DeBrincat, who played for the Senators last season after playing his first five NHL seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks. “But we’re going in there for business. Hoping to come away with two points.”

Puck drop between Detroit (3-1-0; 6 points) and Ottawa (3-1-0; 6 points) is set for 1 p.m., with TV broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit. Ken Kal and Paul Woods will have the call on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

The Red Wings trailed, 1-0, just 53 seconds into Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Detroit responded by building a three-goal lead before withstanding a third-period surge to defeat Pittsburgh, 6-3, at Little Caesars Arena for a third straight victory.

DeBrincat earned two goals and an assist in Wednesday’s win, bringing his season total to five goals and three assists in four games. He became just the fourth player in franchise history with five goals in his four games for the Red Wings.

“There’s going to be a lot of close games this year that we need to close out,” DeBrincat said. “It’s good we’re learning early in the season how to do that. Hopefully we can keep that up.”

The Senators also enter Saturday’s matinee riding a three-game winning streak of their own after pulling away from the Washington Capitals, 6-1, on Wednesday. Vladimir Tarasenko and Tim Stützle pace Ottawa with six points apiece, while Brady Tkachuk leads the club with four goals in four games.

“There’s a lot of skill on both teams,” DeBrincat said. “Play similar styles. Both teams want to play north and with a lot of speed. It should be a good game, a fun one. Obviously it’s early in the year, but every point matters.”

Last season, the Senators went 39-35-8 (86 points) overall and finished sixth in the Atlantic Division.

“They’re not easy to play in their building,” DeBrincat said. “I think we can go in there, and if we have a strong start, hopefully take one from them.”

Fabbri out one month with lower-body injury

Speaking to the media Friday before departing for Ottawa, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said Robby Fabbri will be out for one month because of a lower-body injury.

“Not his knee,” Lalonde said about the injury to Fabbri, who has torn his ACL three times in his eight-year NHL career. “It happened late in New Jersey, and he skated the next day. We almost played him the next day. It was true day-to-day.

“Then as it didn’t respond well throughout the week with those skates, (the doctors) did some deeper testing and found something that they did not like.”

Fabbri scored a power-play goal in Detroit’s season opener against the Devils, his lone game this season.

Red Wings set to host Chevrolet Plaza Player Walk this Sunday

The fan-favorite “Hockeytown Red Carpet Walk,” previously scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14 prior to the Red Wings’ home opener, was unfortunately canceled due to rain across metro Detroit. With another weekend home game at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, the Red Wings are excited to provide fans an opportunity to interact with players as they enter Little Caesars Arena ahead of the matinee against the Calgary Flames. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m.

The Chevrolet Plaza will open to fans at 1 p.m., with Red Wings player arrivals expected to begin at 1:45 p.m. from the Trinity Health Garage (165 Sproat St.). Players will be escorted by youth hockey participants of the Red Wings’ Learn, Play, Score, Little Wings, and Little Caesars AAA programs, and there will be potential autograph and selfie opportunities with Red Wings players.

The Coca-Cola Hockeytown Experience and yard games, live music, photo opportunities and giveaways will also be available in the Chevrolet Plaza.

All four Little Caesars Arena restaurants will open at 1 p.m., in time for the Detroit Lions road game against the Baltimore Ravens. Doors to Little Caesars Arena will open at 3:30 p.m.