Senators: Stutzle stays hot while Ersson stumbles in 5–3 loss to Red Wings

The Ottawa Senators fell 5–3 to the Detroit Red Wings, closing out a stretch of three road games in four days that appeared to take a toll. Missing their top defence pair and their regular starting goaltender, the Senators kept the game within reach but never fully seized control.

Stutzle driving offence, Eklund breaks through

Tim Stutzle continued to pace Ottawa’s attack with another standout performance. He scored his third goal of the season early, spotting an opening through the neutral zone and beating the Detroit defence before firing through traffic and past the crowd in front of the net. With six points in three games, he looks like a player pushing to a new level, combining offence with physical engagement and solid work in his own end.

Winger William Eklund finally turned steady pressure into a first goal as a Senator. After generating a string of dangerous looks in his opening games, he was rewarded on a play from near the goal line. Underlying numbers underline how active he has been: he leads Ottawa by a wide margin in expected goals at 2.7 through just 54 minutes of ice time, a figure that also ranks among the league leaders so far. Early returns suggest he is fitting well in the club’s top six.

Ridly Greig made his season debut after serving a two-game suspension and immediately reminded the team what he brings. Late in the second period he delivered a firm reverse hit on Alex DeBrincat that sparked a scrum and injected some life into the bench. Slotted into the bottom six, he also helped settle a fourth line that had struggled over Ottawa’s first two outings.

Power play misfires again and Ersson’s tough first start

Special teams again hurt the Senators, echoing a key issue from their disappointing playoff showing last season. Ottawa did connect once with the man advantage, but across five power plays the group rarely looked dangerous, relying heavily on perimeter puck movement without opening clean seams or creating sustained chaos at the net.

With Jake Sanderson sidelined, Thomas Chabot is running the top unit. His more deliberate, distributor-style approach from the blue line differs from Sanderson’s, and the group still appears to be adjusting. The result against Detroit was a power play that struggled to find rhythm or threaten consistently despite the volume of opportunities.

In goal, Samuel Ersson endured a difficult first start in the organization. He surrendered four goals, including a pair early in the second period that sagged the bench’s energy. Coming off a season in which he rated near the bottom of the league by several analytical measures, he has yet to build much confidence, particularly with the puck on his stick. Multiple goals against have stemmed from misplays when he leaves his crease to handle the puck, directly feeding high-danger chances for opponents.

Cousins quiet at five-on-five as Ottawa turns toward home

Forward Nick Cousins had a relatively muted impact at even strength. While he succeeded in agitating Detroit — including taking verbal aim at former Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin — his two-way contribution fell short of what Ottawa needs in a game where few skaters were fully in sync.

The Senators’ decision to keep Ersson on the roster at the expense of Leevi Merilainen, who was lost on waivers, underlines how much they have invested in trying to make this tandem work despite early wobbles. Still, Ottawa sits at 2-1-0 through three games, a respectable start heading into their home opener against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 8. The priority now will be rediscovering the pace and structure shown in the first two games while tightening their power play execution and puck management after the setback against Detroit.