Mrazek makes 22 saves, Red Wings top Senators

DETROIT - Petr Mrazek made 22 saves and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1 at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday.
Danny DeKeyser, Henrik Zetterberg and Darren Helm scored for Detroit (28-18-8), which won its third in a row and moved into second place in the Atlantic Division.

The Red Wings are 3-0-0 on a five-game homestand after going 11-10-5 in their first 26 games in Detroit.
"I think just the way we play a little simpler than before here at home," Zetterberg said. "We have patience, we trust each other that we're going to get enough chances to win games and not force pucks in the beginning of the game so I think that's one difference."
Zack Smith scored for Ottawa (25-24-6) and Craig Anderson made 26 saves in defenseman Dion Phaneuf's first game with the Senators after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

"We let them off the hook in the first period," Ottawa coach Dave Cameron said. "I'd like to see us get it to the net. We were looking for the Grade A chance."
Smith made it 2-1 when he scored with 2:24 left in the third period by deflecting Mike Hoffman's slap shot from the top of the left circle past Mrazek during a power play with Anderson pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage. It was Smith's 12th goal of the season and third in three games, and it deprived Mrazek of his second consecutive shutout.
"It would be nice, but we got two points. Huge points for us," said Mrazek, who general manager Ken Holland said would be the Red Wings No. 1 goalie for the rest of the season. "They were chasing us from the back [of the standings]; the two points gives us [room] now."
The Red Wings killed the Senators' first six power-play chances before Smith scored. Ottawa had four man-advantages in the third period, including a 5-on-3 power play for 27 seconds.

"Once again, the last game too, they really saved us," Zetterberg said of Detroit's penalty-killers. "With them and Petr, they really kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win here because we were in the box way too much."
Smith agreed that Detroit's penalty-killers made the difference.
"They were better on the special teams tonight," he said. "They did a good job blocking shots, which is not an easy thing to do."
Helm scored his fifth of the season into an empty net with 1:11 left.
DeKeyser gave Detroit a 1-0 lead 3:03 into the game when his shot from the inside edge of the left circle deflected off the stick of Ottawa defenseman Marc Methot and went over Anderson's shoulder. It was DeKeyser's career-high seventh goal.

Zetterberg made it 2-0 at 2:01 of the third period with his 10th of the season. He put a shot over Anderson's shoulder on the short side from the bottom of the right circle after cutting inside on Phaneuf.
"I would have like to have gotten a better stick on that one," Phaneuf said. "You've got to give him credit. I put my stick there and he put the puck under it. I've got to have a better stick there."
Pavel Datsyuk got the puck to Zetterberg just outside the Ottawa blue line while lying on the ice along the right-wing boards.
DeKeyser was helped off the ice 45 seconds into the third period after Phaneuf's shot hit him in the right leg. He returned in the middle of the period, took a short shift and returned to the bench. He talked to trainer Piet Van Zant, went to the dressing room and did not return.
"It's a bruise is what it looks like. It's a not a break by any means," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's a bruise. It was sore. It hit in a spot that's going to be painful. He'll be day to day. We'll see tomorrow where it's at. He just couldn't put enough weight on it to finish the game."
The Senators play Thursday at home against the Colorado Avalanche, who come to Joe Louis Arena for a game Friday.