DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings scored three goals in a 1:55 span in the third period to rally for a 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.
“We knew there would be a lot of energy in the building because of the tradition on New Year’s Eve, but our guys earned every bit of it tonight,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “It was awesome to be a part of a game where the whole team turned the momentum around like this.”
Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (16-12-7), who fell behind by multiple goals for the third straight game. They trailed the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 before rallying for a 5-4 overtime win on Wednesday, and 5-0 to the Buffalo Sabers in a 6-3 loss on Thursday.
“It felt like we’ve had a few games lately where we haven’t been ready at the start, but today we were able to come back and get the two points we needed,” Raymond said.
Magnus Hellbergwho won a game for the Senators earlier this season before being waived, made 21 saves.
“It didn’t matter if we were playing against Magnus or another goalie, we needed to shoot the puck,” Ottawa coach DJ Smith said. “We had 45 shots the other night (in a 4-3 overtime win at the Washington Capitals) and we had 13 in the first two periods tonight. We were playing way too cute for our style of hockey.”
Video: OTT@DET: Raymond redirects puck for goal in the 3rd
Austin Watson and Claude Giroux scored for Ottawa (16-17-3), which had won two straight. Cam Talbot made 21 saves.
“I thought we definitely played well in the first period, but they got better in the second,” Watson said. “They made a push, and I don’t know if it was just the energy in the building or us not being confident in what we were doing, but they took it to us.”
Raymond tied it 2-2 at 1:18 of the third period, redirecting Olli Maatta‘s shot from the point.
Elmer Soderblom then gave Detroit a 3-2 lead at 2:36 before Michael Rasmussen stole the puck from Talbot below the goal and shot into an empty net to make it 4-2 at 3:13.
“It’s definitely a positive that we can score in bunches like we’ve done a few times lately, but we need to get off to better starts,” Rasmussen said. “We can’t keep putting ourselves in a hole.”
Watson gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at 10:36 of the first period, scoring blocker from the high slot through Maatta.
Giroux made it 2-0 at 15:27. He put the puck between his legs to get a step on Jake Wallman before scoring with a backhand that trickled in off Hellberg’s blocker.
Video: OTT@DET: Giroux goes between his legs to score
Pius Suter cut it to 2-1 at 8:42 of the second period, one-timing a pass from Raymond glove side on Talbot.
NOTES: Alex DeBrincat, who is from Farmington Hills, Michigan, had the primary assist on Watson’s goal. He has 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 18 games against the Red Wings. … This was the 66th time the Red Wings have hosted a New Year’s Eve game. They are 34-23-2 with seven ties since the tradition started in 1936-37.
.