Monday night had arrived for the Ottawa Senators to start up a back-to-back for the first time since late-January. Another pivotal game awaited the Senators against the Detroit Red Wings after Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against the New York Rangers.
The Senators earned three of a possible four points against the Red Wings in the two previous meetings this season. In the third meeting, it would come down to one goal again.
The Senators defeated the Red Wings 2-1 at Canadian Tire Centre to improve to 33-25-5 on the season. With the win, the Senators jumped the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 71 points. The Senators have now earned nine points in five games in March.
The third Senators-Red Wings game would end up being another nail biter, but it was another must win game the Senators needed to have.
2. Take a bow, Linus
Linus Ullmark had some struggles after returning from his injury in February. If the Senators were going to make a playoff push, Ullmark needed to be better. Against the Red Wings, Ullmark delivered one of his best performances of his career.
Ullmark earned the win by making an impressive 48 saves against the Red Wings. In the second period, Ullmark set a career-high for saves in a period by making 27 saves.
Throughout the game, Ullmark was brilliant with robbing the Red Wings of scoring goals. Dylan Larking scored the only goal of the game for the Red Wings to tie the game at one in the third period, but Ullmark was brilliant the entire game regardless.
The Red Wings thought they tied the game at two with under one second to go in the third period, but time had expired before the puck went in the net to lock down the Senators win.
1. New Senator continues to impress
This past Friday, the Senators traded Josh Norris away to the Buffalo Sabres to help acquire Dylan Cozens. While the trade shocked some, Cozens made a good first impression by earning an assist and nine hits in his Senators debut on Saturday. But, against the Red Wings is where Cozens came through big.
In the second period, Cozens drew a penalty on the the Red Wings, which led to David Perron scoring a powerplay goal to give the Senators a 1-0 lead, but it was in the third period that Cozens lifted the Senators.
With 5:16 to go in regulation and the game being tied at one, the Senators found themselves on the powerplay. Twelve seconds into the powerplay, Cozens scored his first goal as a Senator to give the Senators a 2-1 lead. Cozens' powerplay goal turned out to be the game-winning goal. The Sens fans erupted when Cozens gave the Senators the lead.
THE BOYS ARE PUMPED!!#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/nFwWUqkpU5
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 11, 2025
In two games as a Senator, Cozens' impact has already been crucial. The Senators have won both games since Cozens has been traded over to the team.
The Senators have a quick turnaround in less than 24 hours when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center. In the first meeting against the Flyers this season in Nov. 14 in Ottawa, the Senators were up 4-2 in the third period, but then the Flyers scored three unanswered to win the game 5-4 in overtime.