In Ottawa, the Senators scored four times in the second period on Monday and used that outburst to down the Detroit Red Wings, 6-2.
Claude Giroux had a goal and four points for the Sens.
“Sometimes when the game is big, you [can’t] let it be a big game, you just play hockey,” Giroux said. “You don’t overthink it, and tonight I think we did that. We didn’t overthink the way we wanted to play. We had a game plan and we just followed it.”
Cam Talbot made 22 saves in the Ottawa win.
“Everyone stepped up tonight,” Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk said. “I think everyone knows the importance of this final stretch, but our focus was just winning [every] shift and doing whatever it takes to win, and I think everybody did that tonight.”
The Senators moved to 29-26-4.
The game started well for the Red Wings when they tool a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal from Tyler Bertuzzi .
It stayed that way until the second period when Jake Sanderson tied the game, 1-1, at 3:41 of the period.
David Period reclaimed the lead for Detroit, 2-1, at 5:11.
Drake Batherson scored off the power play and Giroux hit for his goal and 3-1 lead to the Senators.
“I think every line played great and we were rolling the lines,” Giroux said. “The fans gave us some energy, too, and in saying that, it was a great game for us. But you know they’re going to come out hard tomorrow.”
The Senators scored twice on six power play chances.
“Too many penalties,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “That team will lose to nobody in the League if you give them six power plays.
“The power plays just demoralized us. It drains the top guys. Now we start making tired mistakes, we have no rhythm. And all of those (penalties) were on the front end. We literally, with too many penalties, gave ourselves zero chance.”
Tkachuk scored to finish off the Senators outburst and give them a 4-2 lead headed to the third.
“I needed to be at my best tonight,” Tkachuk said. “These are huge games for our team. I just wanted to do whatever it takes to help the team win, and whether that was by emotion or physicality or making the play at the right time, but everybody did that tonight. It wasn’t just me. Everybody put their heart on their sleeve and did it for the guy next to them.”
Red Wings dropped to 28-23-8.
“I think we missed him big time tonight in a game like this,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. “Someone’s going to have to step up and play. You know, he’s kind of created a role, he does things that no one else on our team really does, and we miss that. But someone’s going to have to step in and step up for us. I expect that tomorrow.”
Ben Chabot hit for a goal just 47 seconds into the third period to extend the lead to 5-2 for Ottawa.
“Everyone’s fighting for their lives,” Larkin said. “We have teams that we’re playing against that are battling for the same spot that we are. It did [feel like a playoff game] on the ice.”
Tim Stutzle scored with five minutes left in the game for the 6-2 final.
Magnus Hellberg made 36 saves in the Detroit loss.
“Hellberg was remarkable on the penalty kill,” Lalonde said. “Unbelievable east-west saves, but I think he got tired. He gives up the long goal to Tkachuk, he fans on one five-hole (on Giroux). I think that’s a product of being in his crouch for a period and a half on the penalty kill.”
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