KANATA, Ontario — This felt like a playoff game, with the accompanying emotion in the building and bad blood on the ice.
The Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, two long rebuilding teams aiming to finally make the playoffs, got a taste of what it would be like Monday at Canadian Tire Centre.
From the Wings' perspective, it was likely memorable except for the end result, a 6-2 loss to the Senators.
Ottawa scored four goals in the second period, two on the power play, as they erased an early deficit and took the first game of this two-game in two-nights series (Tuesday's game at 7 p.m./BSD/The Ticket).
The Wings (28-23-8, 64 points) stayed three points behind Pittsburgh for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa (29-26-4, 62 points) moved to within five points. Buffalo (66 points), Florida and Washington (both 64 points) all are jammed into the race, chasing Pittsburgh, with the New York Islanders (69 points) slightly ahead of Pittsburgh.
At this point of the season, though, any Wings' loss is costly and this one stung the way it unfolded, letting early leads disappear.
Monday's game was a rescheduled game of a late December game that was postponed because of dangerous weather in Ottawa.
For the fans who kept their tickets and waited for this game, they were rewarded.
A lot of physical play, a lot of desperation from both teams given what's at stake and a definite playoff feel.
Which coach Derek Lalonde expected after the morning skate, with how these two teams have gradually built to these moments.
"Both teams have put themselves in position to be in it," Lalonde said. "Both organizations are similar in that that's where they want to be. They fought very hard to get here and now they're here. We'll see how we handle (the game)."
Tyler Bertuzzi (his third goal) and David Perron (15th goal, on the power play) scored the Wings' goals. Goalie Magnus Hellberg was sturdy in the first period, but the Senators solved him the rest of the way, on the way to making 39 saves.
Hellberg talked after the morning skate about the excitement of being in these types of games.
"This is why you play," Hellberg said. "It's so much fun when you have something to play for and you have that hunger in the team. I was a part of that when I was playing in the KHL (in Russia) for a bunch of years and we went far in the playoffs. Everything leads up to this point to make the playoffs and when you make the playoffs, you want to go for the Cup.
"We have a good thing going and it's going to be an interesting couple of games here. We're excited for sure."
The difference was the second period, as the Wings led 1-0 after 20 minutes on a Bertuzzi breakaway goal.
But the Wings kept tempting fate with Ottawa's explosive power play, and the Senators finally made them pay.
Ottawa's Jake Sanderson and Perron traded power-play goals, keeping the Wings in a 2-1 lead. But Drake Batherson's power-play goal tied it 2-2 at 12:20 of the second period.
Ottawa then went ahead when Claude Giroux got behind the Wings' defense and slipped a puck through Hellberg's legs at 14:10, Giroux's 24th goal.
Hellberg would probably want the next Senators goal back, Brady Tkachuk on the rush from the hashmarks, Tkachuk's 24th goal at 17:41, giving Ottawa a 4-2 lead.
Thomas Chabot's floater just 47 seconds into the third period pushed the Ottawa lead to 5-2 and Tim Stutzle capped the scoring.
The Wings need points Tuesday to keep pace in the race, especially after having lost their last two games.
The key, players have said the last several days, is remain even keel.
"Not to high, or low," said Oskar Sundqvist of the Wings' mindset. "We've done a pretty good job of that lately and we have to keep doing that, keep playing the same way, and we'll have a good chance at the playoffs."
