OTTAWA - Johan Franzen scored five goals as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Ottawa Senators 7-5 Wednesday night.
Kris Draper and Niklas Kronwall also scored for Detroit (31-13-6) while Jimmy Howard made 29 saves.
Milan Michalek scored twice for Ottawa, while Peter Regin had a goal and two assists. Chris Campoli and Alex Kovalev also scored for the Senators.
Robin Lehner was pulled midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 19 shots in his first start at home. Brian Elliott allowed two goals on 19 shots in relief.
The Senators (17-27-8) have lost eight straight games, and 14 of 15. Ottawa hasn't won a game at home since a Dec. 26 game against Pittsburgh.
This was Detroit's first visit to Ottawa since October 2008.
The Senators opened the scoring with a power-play goal by Kovalev, but back-to-back goals by Franzen, just 48 seconds apart, gave Detroit a 2-1 lead.
Ottawa responded with a pair as Regin and Campoli each scored their second of the season to give Ottawa a 3-2 lead.
After a slow start to the second period the Red Wings scored twice in a span of 13 seconds to regain the lead.
Lehner made two great saves, but couldn't stop Draper on the third attempt as he beat the young rookie over the shoulder.
On the ensuing play, the Red Wings took control and continued to pressure Ottawa deep in its own end before Nicklas Lidstrom found Kronwall at the blue-line. Kronwall drilled a shot through traffic and beat Lehner through the legs.
That marked the end of Lehner's night, and fans didn't appreciate the goaltending change as Elliott was booed by the 18,011 on hand at Scotiabank Place. Elliott had lost his last 11 starts.
Elliott looked awful as Franzen completed the hat trick with a power play goal just 30 seconds into the third, beating the goalie short-side.
The Senators tied the game 5-5 29 seconds later as Michalek scored his second of the night.
Back-to-back minor penalties gave the Red Wings a two-man advantage for 68 seconds and they made the most of it as Franzen scored his fourth of the game and gave Detroit a 6-5 lead.
The Senators appeared to tie the game with just under eight minutes remaining, but the goal was disallowed on the ice and the call was upheld upon further review.
Franzen capped the scoring with an empty-netter.
Notes: Ottawa D Matt Carkner was a healthy scratch. LW Jarkko Ruutu was back in the lineup after missing the last three games. The Senators were without G Pascal Leclaire (lower body, day-to-day), C Jason Spezza (shoulder, indefinite)...Detroit was without C Pavel Datsyuk (hand, day-to-day), C Mike Modano (wrist, early March), LW Thomas Holmstrom (hand, mid-February), G Chris Osgood (groin, mid-February), D Brad Stuart (jaw, late February). Todd Bertuzzi celebrated his 36th birthday Wednesday.
