Red Wings Enter Olympic Break with Win over Senators

Playing their last game before the Olympic Break on Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Coming into the game, the buzz was that forward Kirk Maltby might not be available as he faces season-ending shoulder surgery. Maltby remained in the lineup, however, and opened the game’s scoring.

At 9:33 of the first period, Maltby backhanded a rebound chance past Ottawa goaltender Brian Elliot to give the Red Wings the early lead.

With 3:27 left in the opening frame, Pavel Datsyuk put Detroit up by a pair. Nicklas Lidstrom faked a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, then intentionally fired the puck wide for Datsyuk to deflect in from a sharp angle.

The Senators got on the board at 8:13 of the second as Peter Regin put a rebound opportunity past Jimmy Howard but Detroit extended their lead again 2:56 later when Dan Cleary tipped the puck past Elliot off a cross-crease pass from Todd Bertuzzi for a power play goal.

Johan Franzen added an empty net goal to wrap up the game’s scoring.

Elliot finished the night with 36 saves on 39 shots. Howard made 29 saves on 30 Ottawa chances.

Detroit scored two goals on four power play tries while the Senators were scoreless on their two chances with the extra attacker.

The Red Wings won’t play again until March 1 when they visit the Colorado Avalanche.

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Olympians from both the Red Wings and Senators were honored in a pregame ceremony… The Red Wings were without forward Valtteri Filppula, who was out with a groin injury… Forward Tomas Holmstrom left the game during the first period after aggravating a knee injury.