Aside from their win in Ottawa last month, the Detroit Red Wings have often looked anything but dynamic offensively. Even the return of one of their stars hasn't given them much of a boost.
The Red Wings look to avoid a third consecutive loss since getting Pavel Datsyuk back when they face the Senators in Monday night's rematch (7 p.m. pregame, 7:30 face-off on FOX Sports Detroit).
Detroit (8-8-1) has scored two or fewer goals in 11 of 13 games and been limited to one in seven contests. Justin Abdelkader scored for the Red Wings in a 3-1 loss at Boston on Saturday on a third-period power play.
Datsyuk was held without a point for the second straight game since his return from offseason ankle surgery. He is two goals shy of 300 for his career.
"We've just got to get more on the inside, play with a little more grit. We've got to bear down in practice, and bear down in games when we get our chances," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We're creating chances but we're not finding the back of the net."
Detroit had its highest offensive output of the season in a 5-3 win over the Senators on Oct. 31. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist scored power-play goals to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead, and Detroit wouldn't trail in the game.
The Senators (8-5-4) also struggled mightily to contain Nashville in a 7-5 loss Nov. 10 but have done a mostly solid job defensively in their other six games this month.
Ottawa has allowed two or fewer goals in four contests while going 3-1-2 in November but couldn't get enough scoring Saturday in a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.
"We're playing a much better team game now," defenseman Cody Ceci said. "It was a pretty devastating shootout loss, but we were in the game the whole time. It was a really good hockey game so we just need to play the same way."
Captain Erik Karlsson scored his third goal in as many games. He also has two assists in that stretch after going goalless for the first 14 games.
Kyle Turris has scored in both meetings with Detroit this season, the first being a 3-1 road win Oct. 30, but his status is uncertain for this one because of an undisclosed injury. Turris, Ottawa's leader with eight goals, has played in every game in each of the past two seasons.
Senators defenseman Jared Cowen is considered doubtful because of an undisclosed injury.
Bobby Ryan has also scored in both matchups with the Wings. Karlsson has no goals and three assists in his last three games against Detroit.
Ottawa has gone 6 for 12 on the power play in its last four contests but has given up a short-handed goal in each. The Senators have one of the league's worst penalty killing percentages at 73.8 and have given up three goals on Detroit's eight power plays.
One of those power-play scorers, Nyquist, has four goals and two assists in a five-game point streak against Ottawa. Zetterberg has three goals and four assists in his last six matchups, including two assists Oct. 31.
Detroit has recorded six wins in its past seven visits to Ottawa.
