Tempers boiled over early in the game between the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, and it ended with a full line brawl at Little Caesars Arena.
The spark came when Dylan Larkin went after Ridly Greig, who was back in the lineup after serving a two-game suspension. Thomas Chabot was quick to jump in, and from there the whole thing unraveled fast. Within seconds, all 10 players were tangled up, with Chabot and Larkin breaking off into their own fight.
Chabot got the better of that exchange, sending Larkin to the ice. At the same time, Ben Charoit mixed it up with Greig, while Shane Pinto and Alex DeBrincat also got involved.
The scrum did not end cleanly, either. There were punches thrown, including in the Greig-Charoit fight, which Charoit won. Eventually things settled down, but it took a while for the officials and both benches to get everything under control.
For Senators fans, it was the kind of scene they love: a scrappy, hard-edged response from a team that still plays with that pesky identity. Even without Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa showed it is still willing to stand up for itself, and Chabot’s role in the dustup only added to the impression that the new captain won’t back down when his teammates need him.
Ironically, the whole sequence began with a reverse hit by Greig on former Senators forward DeBrincat, a play that did not sit well with Larkin. That set the tone for a night that quickly turned into a donnybrook.
In Other News...
Senators Suddenly Have A Goalie Problem Fans Feared
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Erssons work has only sharpened the concern around how long Ottawa can lean on its backups if Ullmark needs more time. Even in a losing effort against the Red Wings, the bigger issue for the Senators is less about one off night than the possibility of having to navigate an extended run without their No. 1 goalie, making his return a key piece of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Sarah Nurse And Emerance Maschmeyer Make A Notable Camp Decision
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Nurse had initially been included on the Hockey Canada camp list before Alexia Aubin took her place, while several other Goldeneyes players are still set to be part of the national team gathering. The bigger picture, though, is timing: this looks less like a detour than a deliberate move to be available when Vancouvers camp opens Nov. 18, leaving the national team picture and the Goldeneyes early roster plans running on parallel tracks. [Read more 🡒]
Senators First Loss Exposed The Toll Of This Brutal Opening Stretch
A fast, physical night in Detroit gave Ottawa another reminder of how unforgiving this opening stretch can be, as the Senators came up short in a 5-3 loss to the Red Wings. The game had plenty going on for a regular-season tilt, with goals at both ends and contributions from William Eklund, Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson, each of whom finished with a goal and an assist as Ottawa tried to keep pace.
Alex DeBrincat was the difference for Detroit, piling up two goals and an assist while helping the Red Wings collect their first win of the season. The late skirmish only added to the edge of the night, and for Ottawa the bigger concern is less about one result than the grind of a schedule that has already asked a lot of a team still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]