The Detroit Red Wings were prone to being pushed around by physical, chippy teams like Ottawa in the recent past.
That’s not the case anymore. They’ve shown that while compiling their best record through 50 games since 2014-15 (30-16-4, 64 points). They reaffirmed it during Sunday’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Senators.
“I don’t think we’re at all concerned with that,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We’ve got a pretty competitive group, stands their ground and the games are always emotional against this team and (Sunday) was the case as well. You’d like your power play to punish them for careless penalties, and it did a couple times. But we also paid the price for some that went the other way. But it was a very competitive game, and I don’t see that changing at all.”
The game featured several scrums around the net and flareup near the Ottawa bench at 8:00 of the first period when the Senators Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot roughed it up with Elmer Soderblom and Mason Appleton.
“You got to have a pushback,” James van Riemsdyk said. “You can’t get pushed out of games like that. And I thought our team responded well to that, so that’s something you’ll need down the stretch. The games get a little bit more competitive and contested, and you got to stick together, and I thought we did that today.”
Alex DeBrincat, who scored 36 seconds into overtime, said his team is doing a better job of responding to roughhouse tactics.
“I think (Sunday) was great. I think we’re sticking up for each other,” DeBrincat said. “Doesn’t always have to be a fight but getting in there and the power play made them pay on that first penalty, and I think that was a big momentum swing.”
The Red Wings have defeated the Senators twice in two weeks. The teams meet two more times – Feb. 26 at Ottawa in the first game following the Olympic break, and March 24 in Detroit.
The Red Wings start a three-game trip Wednesday in Toronto (7 p.m., TNT). It’s the final meeting between the Atlantic Division rivals. Detroit won the first three.