GAME DAY PREVIEW: SENATORS VS. RED WINGS

The Series So Far The Ottawa Senators complete their season series with the Red Wings on Tuesday night in Detroit, and a few Ottawa players may still be dizzy from the last time the clubs met on Dec. 27. That was the night Gustav Nyquist literally skated circles around the host Sens in overtime, holding onto the puck for 28 seconds before stepping into the slot and releasing a game-winning wrist shot. Things have been close between the clubs all season, with the Sens scoring into an empty net for a 3-1 win at home on Nov. 4 and the Red Wings responding Nov. 24 with a 4-3 win at home. Players to watch Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings: Datsyuk returned the lineup on the weekend after missing five games with a lowerbody injury. The Magic Man, at 36, not only remains one of the very best defensive forwards in the league, but he has also produced at a pace of better than a point per game (60 in 59), something only three of the top 10 NHL scorers had accomplished. Marek Zidlicky, Red Wings: The 38-year-old Czech blue-liner only cost Detroit a third-round draft pick at the trade deadline, and so far they’ve received a good return. Through his first 14 games, he has recorded nine points, including seven on the power play. Curtis Lazar, Senators: Everyone loves 20-year-old Lazar because he plays the right way, whether he’s scoring or not, but recently he’s been doing that, too. And it’s how he’s been scoring that has been particularly impressive. The average range on his first three NHL goals was about two feet — only a slight exaggeration — but he has three goals in his past five games, and on two of them he beat the goalie with a quick release from the slot area. Capital Connection Jimmy Howard grew up in Ogdensburg, New York, just across the St. Lawrence River from Prescott. Petr Mrazek won 75 games over three seasons with the Ottawa 67’s. TV: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, RDS, TSN5 Radio: TSN 1200