Craig Anderson earns 24-save shutout as Senators beats Red Wings 2-0

Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson (65) celebrates his goal with teammates Mark Stone (61) and Kyle Turris (7) during first period NHL hockey action against the Detroit Red Wings, in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 4, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA -- Erik Karlsson and Tom Pyatt scored while Craig Anderson made 24 saves for his fifth shutout of the season as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 Tuesday.

The win coupled with Tampa Bay's 4-0 loss to Boston means the Senators (42-27-10) need just one point in their final three games to clinch a playoff spot.

The win also snapped a five-game losing streak for Ottawa and was just their third victory in their past 12 games.

Jimmy Howard made 22 saves in the loss for the Red Wings (32-36-12) who are playing out the string as they will miss the playoffs for the first time in 25 years.

Clarke MacArthur made his season debut for the Senators and played his first game since Oct. 14, 2015 because of concussion issues.

Earlier this year Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said MacArthur had been shut down for the season when MacArthur failed the necessary concussion baseline test in January.

Last week while the Senators were on the road he passed another baseline test.

MacArthur played just under 10 minutes.

Despite being outshot 11-6 in the first period Ottawa escaped the opening period with a 1-0 at 12:59 thanks to their captain.

Karlsson carried the puck in from the blue-line and just before he reached the goal-line at the outer edge of the face-off circle he took a shot that found the tiniest of openings between Howard's shoulder and the crossbar.

It was a different story on the shot clock in the second, but the part that matters most was the same.

Ottawa outshot the Red Wings 12-3 in the second, but another sharp-angle goal, this one from Pyatt, was the only marker of the period.

On a broken play inside the Detroit zone Pyatt picked up a loose puck and shot from the bottom of the face-off circle through the legs of Howard and in at 7:49 giving the Senators a 2-0 lead.