Trending: Gagner gets his first Detroit goal in shootout loss to Ottawa
Larkin has goal and assist; Timashov makes Wings debut
by Dana Wakiji @Dwakiji / DetroitRedWings.com
OTTAWA -- The Red Wings took a little leap forward but the end result was the same.
After a tough night at home Thursday against the Minnesota Wild (7-1 loss), the Wings responded with a much better effort in Ottawa Saturday night.
The Senators clawed back to take a 3-2 lead but the Wings were able to answer with the man-advantage.
Neither team scored during overtime, despite Ottawa getting a power play, and Artem Anisimov got the only goal in the shootout for the 4-3 victory at Canadian Tire Centre.
Frans Nielsen, Dylan Larkin and Sam Gagner (power play) scored for the Wings.
Anisimov (two, one power play) and Scott Sabourin scored for the Senators.
Detroit goaltender Jonathan Bernier (13-20-3) had 36 saves.
Ottawa goalie Marcus Hogberg (5-7-8) made 25 saves.
Up next for the Wings is a Monday night home game against the Colorado Avalanche on '90s Night.
The Senators will head to Pittsburgh for a Tuesday night game against the Penguins.
1. Dylan Larkin/Sam Gagner: At 6:59 of the second, Tyler Bertuzzi dropped a pass back to Larkin in the slot and Larkin fired the puck past Hogberg for his 18th goal of the season. That ties him with Bertuzzi for the team lead. Robby Fabbri, returning after missing one game with a sore knee, picked up the second assist. Gagner made his Red Wings debut in the 7-1 home loss to the Minnesota Wild Thursday night, which was not a very warm welcome. But at 7:46 of the third, while in the mid-slot, Gagner redirected Filip Hronek's shot for the power-play goal, Gagner's first as a Wing. Larkin had the second assist. Larkin finished with 26 shifts for 19:57, had two shots, one hit, one takeaway, was 9-of-18 in face-offs and was even. Gagner finished with 19 shifts for 14:35, had two shots, one hit, was 1-of- 3 in face-offs and was even.
Quotable: "It feels good. We didn't like how we were as a unit the other night. I thought we got a lot more looks tonight on the power play. I thought we were moving the puck a little better and hunting pucks down and Fil put a great shot there through and I just had to get a piece of it. Power play, especially, I thought we were a little more cohesive as a unit. I think it's a process. You just got to keep building with the new team. I think I have more than I did tonight but you just keep pushing forward and keep trying to help the group and hopefully we can find a way to get some wins here." - Gagner
Quotable II: "It was huge. We knew coming in he's a power-play specialist. It was a great goal. He showed in practice he can top pucks from anywhere. He's similar to Thomas Vanek. That's a play where Fil gets the puck and just looks for his stick and that's what he did. He's great around the net, great hands and I was really happy to see him get that goal." - Larkin
Quotable III: "I knew him. I played world junior with him and I know he's a really skilled guy on the power play, so he's gonna help us a lot for sure. Good for him that he got the first one here." - Bernier
Quotable IV: "I thought (Gagner) played better today. He's just quicker thinking. I think when you've played in a system, it comes faster a bit the more games you play. Certainly that was a nice tip goal there on the power play. That's what he does a real good job of. He's been around a lot of different situations but he's also been in situations like what we're facing in his career. He can add some light to that. So I think that's a real positive. He's been a good player so far. I've just said to him everything I've read, he's been a real good pro. Just keep being a good pro." - Wings coach Jeff Blashill
2. Frans Nielsen/Jonathan Bernier: Nielsen has not come close to his customary offensive output this season. He has dealt with a few injuries but had managed just three goals and four assists in 55 games coming into Saturday's game. But at 3:59 of the first period, Adam Erne stole the puck and headed into the Ottawa zone. Nielsen was there at the left doorstep to put the puck in the net, his fourth of the season and first since Jan. 7 against the Montreal Canadiens. It ended a 16-game goalless drought. Bernier was his usual solid self, stopping Brady Tkachuk a couple of times on point-blank shots in the first and all seven of Tkachuk's shots overall. Bernier couldn't corral all of Anisimov's 10 shots but held him to two goals in regulation. Nielsen, who did not get a chance in the shootout, finished with 16 shifts for 11:22, had one shot, one hit, one giveaway, two blocked shots, was 1-of-4 in face-offs and was plus-1.
Quotable: "It just comes down to maybe a turnover at our blueline or their blueline. I liked our effort. We backchecked hard and even though we would turn the puck over, everyone was coming back. I think it gets hard when you have two or three options. When it's a two-on-one, I'm not saying it's easier but it's probably better than a three-on-one." - Bernier
Quotable II: "The one thing we can control is our compete level and willingness to dig in and I thought we did a way better job of that tonight. Obviously, Bernie made some key saves for us but I thought our game was a lot better, our compete was a lot higher, and it's a good sign and just got to keep pushing forward here." - Gagner
Quotable III: "It's hard for me to say that but certainly I think any goalie would tell you that you want to play on a regular basis. He's had a chance to play on a regular basis and I think he's done a good job. I like his work with Jeff Salajko, our goalie coach. They've gone to work and done a good job. Night in and night out, he's done a good job." - Blashill
3. Dmytro Timashov : He hasn't practiced with his new team or even been to Detroit since the Wings picked him up on waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs but there was Dmytro Timashov in the lineup Saturday night in Ottawa. Timashov, a Ukraine native, has a Swedish passport and was having issues getting a visa. Those issues are expected to be resolved soon. While Timashov couldn't travel with the team to Detroit, they expect him to be able to get his passport and arrive in time for Monday's home game. In his very first shift, Timashov was a plus-1 as he was on the ice when Nielsen scored. Timashov finished with 15 shifts for 11:00, had a team-high five hits and was plus-1.
Quotable: "I played with him a little bit in the past. He's a guy with a lot of skill and can really skate. He's a lot bigger than he looks. If you see him with his gear off, he's got huge legs. He's able to protect pucks and be an effective player. It's obviously a tough situation for him tonight, coming in here tonight, but I thought he played well. Toronto Marlies, last year. Didn't play much on the line but I got to see some of his tendencies. I think he's got a lot of tools and can be an effective player for us." - Gagner
Quotable II: "I thought he did great. He's a big body for how short he is. He's hard on pucks. He adds some skill to our lineup. I look forward to seeing more of him. It's great to get to know him. He's a really nice, quiet kid and I'm excited for him to get acquainted and get rolling with us." - Larkin
Quotable III: "I thought he played solid. I don't know how many minutes he would've got. I haven't looked at the minutes yet but I thought he played solid. He certainly has some bite to him and he's got some skill to him. In the bottom side of our lineup, we need more of that." - Blashill