When you looked at the Red Wings' schedule for the month of April, this particular weekend stood out.
Two games against Ottawa, which if not breather, at least gave the Wings two games against a rebuilding team.
Of course, it didn't turn out to be that way. Ottawa completed a two-game sweep on Sunday with a 5-2 victory.
Dylan Larkin's 29th goal on a drive to the net cut Ottawa's lead to 3-2 at 12 minutes, 35 seconds of the third period.
The Wings had a power-play opportunity with five minutes left in regulation, but failed to convert for the second time in the game.
Oxford native Josh Norris (Michigan) then added an empty-net goal, completing Sunday's hat trick and his fourth goal in the two games. Nikita Zaitsev added another empty-net goal in the final minute.
Michael Rasmussen opened the game's scoring to give the Wings a rare, early lead. But the Senators gradually took over the rest of the afternoon.
Goaltender Thomas Greiss returned to the lineup but suffered his fifth consecutive loss, while making 31 saves.
Artem Zub supplied the other Senators' goal.
The Wings (26-34-9) continued a monstrous second-half slide that has dampened whatever progress they made before the All-Star break. They have only won three games in their last 17 games (3-11-3).
Rasmussen scored his 10th goal, giving the Wings a 1-0 lead. Rasmussen kept the puck on a two-on-one rush, and snapped a shot past goaltender Anton Forsberg.
The Wings killed two Ottawa penalties in the period and generally controlled the period. But Zub tied the game at 1 at the 18:18 mark of the first period on a clean shot from near the point that beat Greiss and gave the Senators a sliver of momentum.
Norris scored his first two goals in the second period (30 for season) on a snipe on the power play from the right circle and on a rebound in the low slot, putting Ottawa ahead 3-1.
