Preview: Senators at Red Wings

SENATORS (2-0-0) at RED WINGS (0-2-0)
8 p.m. ET; FS-D, RDSI, TSN5, NHL.TV

#

Senators team scope

With Ottawa playing back-to-back games -- in Detroit on Monday and home against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday -- coach Guy Boucher will give goalie Andrew Hammond his first start of the season at Joe Louis Arena. "I'm excited to get out there, because watching these first two games has shown me the potential that we have on this team," Hammond said after the morning skate. "Now I get to be out there." Boucher said forward Matt Puempel will be in the lineup for the first time this season, replacing Phil Varone. "I told Puempel that he earned this game; I don't hand out freebies," Boucher said. "(Ryan) Dzingel has shown me enough that he deserves to stay in the lineup, so this is the move I chose."

Red Wings team scope

The home opener begins the final season at Joe Louis Arena, which opened in 1979. Next season, the Red Wings will move into Little Caesar's Arena, located near Comerica Park (home to the Detroit Tigers) and Ford Field (home to the Detroit Lions). "I don't think it has really set in yet, but maybe it will after tonight's ceremonies," said Justin Abdelkader, a Michigan native who played at Michigan State University. "I've been cheering for the Red Wings at the Joe for a long time, and now this is the end." Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is staying with the same lineup that lost 4-1 at the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Thomas Vanek, Darren Helm and Gustav Nyquist will be together for a third straight game, but the other lines will be different. "Helmer's line has been really good, but we're still looking for some new combinations," Blashill said. "Dylan (Larkin) and Henrik (Zetterberg) had a lot of success last year, so we'll put them together to see if that chemistry is still there."

Senators projected lineup

Zack Smith -- Derick Brassard -- Bobby Ryan
Mike Hoffman -- Kyle Turris -- Mark Stone
Matt Puempel -- Chris Kelly -- Chris Neil
Tom Pyatt -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Ryan Dzingel
Erik Karlsson -- Marc Methot
Dion Phaneuf -- Cody Ceci
Chris Wideman -- Mark Borowiecki
Andrew Hammond
Craig Anderson
Scratched:Thomas Chabot, Phil Varone
Injured: Clarke MacArthur (concussion)

Red Wings projected lineup

Justin Abdelkader -- Frans Nielsen -- Riley Sheahan
Tomas Tatar -- Dylan Larkin -- Henrik Zetterberg
Thomas Vanek -- Darren Helm -- Gustav Nyquist
Drew Miller -- Luke Glendening -- Andreas Athanasiou
Danny DeKeyser -- Mike Green
Jonathan Ericsson -- Alexey Marchenko
Brendan Smith -- Xavier Ouellet
Petr Mrazek
Jimmy Howard
Scratched:Ryan Sproul, Steve Ott
Injured:Niklas Kronwall (knee), Tomas Jurco (back)

Status report

After being scratched in the opener and promoted to the first line on Saturday, Athanasiou drops to the fourth line against Ottawa.

Who's hot

Karlsson has a goal and three assists in Ottawa's first two games, and scored in the shootout victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. … Helm, Nyquist and Vanek have combined for three goals in two games, and are the only Detroit forwards with positive plus-minus ratings (Helm, plus-2; Nyquist, plus-1; Vanek, plus-1).