Traction has been a popular word around the Red Wings lately.

The Wings can’t put together any win streak or bunch some victories around a singular loss. Positive momentum, positive traction.

Oxford native Josh Norris made sure the Wings didn’t gain any Thursday in Ottawa.

Norris scored two goals, including the game winner with 41.6 seconds left in regulation time, giving the Senators a 2-1 victory.

Norris has 11 goals for the season and now has 10 points in nine career games against the Wings. On the game winner, Norris used his speed to find ice down the middle and snapped a shot from the high slot past goaltender Ville Husso (30 saves).

The loss left the Wings winless in four games (0-2-2) and stuck toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They are only one point ahead of Montreal from the basement of the Eastern Conference.

“I liked all of our guys, we outchanced them five-on-five, we spent a little too much time in the penalty box, but we give up two goals in 60 minutes on the road, you certainly hope to find a way to get a point out of it,” coach Derek Lalonde told Fan Dual Sports Network after the game. “It’s a little frustrating how it ended.”

The Wings (10-12-4) have only won three games in their last 11 (3-5-3) and are slipping to near the bottom of the bunched-up standings. Ottawa (11-12-2) tied the Wings with 24 points with the victory.

Alex DeBrincat scored a power-play goal at 6:15 of the third period, tying the game at 1-1. Simon Edvinsson made a key play using his long reach to keep the puck in the zone, and the Wings worked the puck to DeBrincat — still being booed every time he touches the puck in Ottawa — who ripped a one-timer past goaltender Linus Ullmark (19 saves) for his 11th goal.

BOX SCORE: Senators 2, Red Wings 1

Norris scored midway in the first period, giving the Senators a 1-0 lead.

The Wings’ much-maligned penalty kill was successful killing five Ottawa power plays. The Wings were 1-for-3 on the power play.

“They did a great job,” said DeBrincat of the Wings’ penalty kill to FSN. “A lot of calls against us and they did a great job of shutting down a great power play. They did their part.

“It’s frustrating to give up those two points.”

Lalonde stressed the positives surrounding the Wings of late, after Thursday’s morning skate, but wants to see his team put a positive streak together.

“Points in six of eight games (now nine), and a lot of positives in our game,” Lalonde told reporters. “But there are moments we can manage our game better. We are doing some positive things and executing. But we’re sitting here and trying to get some traction.”

Norris patiently tucked a puck behind Husso at 12:14 of the first period after a scramble in front of the Wings’ net. The goal was the 10th of the season for Norris.

Ottawa outshot the Wings, 32-20, limiting the Wings to only four shots in the second period (outshot 13-4). But the Wings came out firing in the third period, outshooting Ottawa 8-5 and getting the power play goal from DeBrincat, until Norris’ heroics.

The Wings could breathe a sigh of relief Thursday after Edvinsson returned to the game in the second period after missing several shifts. Edvinsson to be favoring his right side after falling awkwardly in a collision with Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk.

In the end, the Wings let a quality scoring chance in the slot with under minute left in the game defeat them. The Wings, basically, have been doing just enough in many of these games to lose.

“I didn’t mind our game,” Lalonde said. “We can take some maturity in managing our game. Not a grade A chance (on the game winner) but a quality B chance from the slot. Manage our game and don’t give that up and take it to overtime. It’s those little things that keep finding us.”

tkulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan

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