Johan Franzen scored two third period goals to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators for their first win of the 2008-09 season.
The Red Wings trailed the Senators 2-1 entering the game’s third period. With 8:44 left in the game’s final frame, Franzen took advantage of a bad Ottawa line change to break down the left wing all alone. He moved to the left faceoff circle and and snapped a shot past goalie Martin Gerber to the far corner of the net.
Franzen scored again with 1:17 remaining, bouncing a wrister from the right wing off of defenseman Filip Kuba. Gerber got a piece of it before it rolled off the far post and into the net.
The Senators had opened the game’s scoring just 6:22 into the game.
With Ottawa on a two-man advanage Alexandre Picard passed off to Kuba and got the puck back at the top of the right faceoff circle for a slapper past Detroit netminder Chris Osgood.
Valtteri Filppula evened things up 4:41 later with a wrister from the left wing on a short three-on-two.
Nick Foligno scored with 1:59 left in the second period to put the Senators back in front, jumping between Filppula and Niklas Kronwall, breaking through to go in alone on Osgood and put it past him.
The Red Wings finished the night scoreless after five power play tries. Ottawa scored once in their five chances with the extra attacker.
Osgood made twenty saves on 22 shots while Gerber stopped 38 of 41 Detroit chances.
The Red Wings will be back in action on Monday when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes.
Derek Meech and Kyle Quincey were healthy scratches for the second straight game. Quincey was placed on waivers earlier in the day.