Red Wings vs Senators: A Midseason Showdown Shaping the Atlantic Race
Right now, the battle between the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators feels like one of those quiet turning points in an NHL season that only becomes obvious in hindsight. Both teams are sitting at or near the halfway mark, and while Detroit holds the clear advantage in the standings, Ottawa is very much hanging around, waiting for the door to crack open.
Detroit enters this stretch with a seven-point cushion and a spot near the top of the Atlantic Division, something that hasn’t happened for this franchise in a long time. The Red Wings are chasing their first playoff appearance since the 2015–16 season, and that context matters. This team has been here before in recent years, only to fade late. Those memories are still fresh, and they linger whenever the conversation turns to whether Detroit can finally close the deal. Still, the math is on their side. With roughly half the season remaining, a lead like this isn’t small, and it would likely take another extended late-season slide for the Senators to fully erase it.
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Ottawa, meanwhile, is trying to prove that last season wasn’t a one-off. After ending a long playoff drought a year ago, the Senators are now attempting to build something more stable. Even though they’re buried near the bottom of the Atlantic standings, the gap from top to bottom in the division is surprisingly tight. Only eight points separate first place from last, which makes every divisional matchup feel like a four-point swing. Hosting Detroit at Canadian Tire Centre gives Ottawa a chance to chip away at that deficit immediately.
One of the most interesting contrasts between these teams comes from how they’ve gotten their results. Detroit is winning despite a negative goal differential, something that usually doesn’t last forever. Ottawa, on the other hand, has scored more goals than it has allowed, yet still finds itself outside the playoff picture. Over time, those numbers often even out, and that’s where optimism around the Senators comes from.
Momentum also feels slightly different on each side. Ottawa has opened the New Year with a couple of confidence-building wins, and the return of captain Brady Tkachuk has clearly stabilized the lineup. Tim Stützle continues to drive the offense and looks more dangerous by the week, while younger players are settling into defined roles. Detroit, though, has quietly tightened up defensively since late November, and goaltender John Gibson has been a major reason why they’ve climbed into the Atlantic’s top tier.
At the center of it all is urgency. Detroit knows that making the playoffs would validate years of rebuilding, especially for young leaders like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Ottawa knows that standing still isn’t an option if it wants to be taken seriously as a contender. With four head-to-head games left this season, the Senators still have a path. But for now, Detroit controls its own fate, and Ottawa is left chasing, hoping this rivalry becomes the spark that flips the standings before spring arrives.
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