OTTAWA — On the day Daniel Alfredsson returned to Ottawa, the Senators got yet another reminder that things aren’t the same this season without him.
Despite an empty-net goal and an assist, Alfredsson wasn’t primarily responsible for the Senators’ second straight loss and fourth straight at home. But in helping the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory Sunday night at Canadian Tire Centre, the long-time captain contributed to the continuation of his former team’s woes.
Like so many times in their previous 27 games in the post-Alfredsson era, something was just missing for the Senators (10-13-4). Defensive breakdowns led to goals, and there wasn’t enough offence to compensate.
Ottawa’s power play went 0-for-4, while the Red Wings seemed to capitalize on every mistake. Alfredsson assisted on Johan Franzen’s opening goal for Detroit (14-7-7), and Drew Miller scored twice.
Clarke MacArthur scored his eighth goal of the season for the Senators, and Mika Zibanejad made things interesting late, but it wasn’t enough to make them a perfect 3-0 against the Red Wings this season. Ottawa won the first two meetings, both coming at Joe Louis Arena.
Red Wings goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, who like Alfredsson is a native of Gothenburg, Sweden, made 29 saves for the victory. Fellow countryman Robin Lehner got the loss.
The pre-game fanfare was all about Alfredsson, who spent 17 seasons with the Senators, including the final 14 as their captain. A lacklustre first period followed a 67-second video tribute to Alfredsson, but the 40-year-old right-winger was involved in the scoring when it began in the second.
Alfredsson gave the puck to defenceman Jakub Kindl as the Red Wings caught the Senators on an odd-man rush. With only defenceman Erik Karlsson back, Franzen had Henrik Zetterberg with him and Alfredsson trailing but decided to shoot and beat Lehner at the 8:22 mark of the second.
It was Franzen’s seventh goal of the season and Alfredsson’s 14th assist.
Miller made it 2-0 Red Wings at the 11:13 mark, taking a pass from Tomas Tatar and firing a one-timer past a sliding Lehner.
The Senators answered just over three minutes later on a flurry around Gustavsson. Milan Michalek followed his shot to the net and knocked the puck loose and right to MacArthur, who broke up the shutout at 14:14.
Miller was the beneficiary of some messy play by the Senators on his second goal of the game. Detroit defenceman Brendan Smith managed to stick-handle and pull everyone to him, leaving Miller wide open to put the puck into an empty net.
Zibanejad scored at the 18:39 mark of the third to cut the Senators’ deficit to one. But Alfredsson sealed it with an empty-netter, his seventh goal of the season.
It was the Red Wings’ fourth straight victory. They haven’t lost since the Senators beat them in Detroit on Nov. 23.
NOTES — Defenceman Marc Methot was a late scratch for the Senators with the flu, the team announced. Coach Paul MacLean indicated before the game that Jared Cowen would be a healthy scratch for a second straight game. Instead Cowen replaced Methot in the lineup. … The attendance was announced as 20,111.
