Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Daniel Alfredsson left the Senators behind for the Red Wings in free agency, and if Wednesday's result is any indication, his former club has left him behind in favor of a solid present and bright future.
Jason Spezza and Bobby Ryan each picked up a pair of goals as Ottawa downed Detroit, 6-1, in the first matchup between new Atlantic Division rivals from Joe Louis Arena.
"I think we finally played a full 60-minute game," Ryan said. "We've seemed to put parts of it together in the past and gotten away from it, and tonight we didn't. Even when we got up a few, we kept the pedal down, essentially, and that was important."
Eric Gryba and Jared Cowen added tallies, with Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson contributing two helpers apiece for the Senators, winners in three of their last four.
Craig Anderson made 31 saves, upping his record to 4-1-2.
Alfredsson entered the first contest against the club for whom he starred during the first 17 seasons of his storied career with nine points in 10 games. The veteran Swedish pivot was held off the board and released just two shots on net.
Todd Bertuzzi supplied the lone offense for the Red Wings, who stumbled to their third straight defeat and worst loss of the young season.
"The bottom line is we were no good here today," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "It's not like I saw it coming, it's not like I think our play's been falling off or anything. I didn't see it coming, I was surprised to say the least. Disappointed for Alfie that we couldn't have done a better job here."
Jimmy Howard was pulled after giving up three goals on eight shots in less than one period. Jonas Gustavsson finished the night with 17 saves on 20 chances.
Good work in the Red Wings zone resulted in Gryba's first of the season, a wrister off a Mika Zibanejad dish, giving the Sens a lead at 5:46 of the first period.
Two more scores, while on the power play, provided Ottawa with a stranglehold in the game and chased Howard.
It was 2-0 for the visitors at 10:48, when Spezza ripped one home from the left wing, then Ryan picked the far corner from the right circle for a three- goal Ottawa edge at 14:14.
Gustavsson entered, and it generated a temporary spark as Bertuzzi put the hosts on the board with 3:46 remaining at the tail end of his club's first power-play chance.
Spezza made it 4-1 with 5:12 elapsed in the second. On a rush up the middle, he shot wide, but the rebound caromed off the back boards right in front and the Ottawa captain made no mistake with his second chance.
Cowen increased the visitors' edge to four with a seeing-eye shot from the point at the 1:50 mark of the third, and Ryan potted a Clarke MacArthur rebound for a 6-1 spread just after the six-minute mark.
Game Notes
Ottawa's victory was its first in Detroit since a 3-2 win on Dec. 12, 2006 and the largest margin of victory at the Joe since entering the league for the 1992-93 season ... Prior to Wednesday, the Wings had won five of the last six meetings with the Senators on home ice ... Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall returned to the lineup, after being a game-time decision following a facial injury suffered in practice when a puck struck him.
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