Hurricanes survive Ottawa’s desperate push, sweep Senators from 2026 NHL playoffs
For the Carolina Hurricanes, make it a sweep.
The Hurricanes finished off the Ottawa Senators in four games, winning a gutter war Saturday to take a 4-2 victory in the Stanley Cup first-round playoff series at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Canes answered every challenge, physical and otherwise, in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series. They move on to face the winner of the series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, and will host the first two games at Lenovo Center.
Logan Stankoven’s power-play goal with 10:50 left in regulation pushed the Canes front, 2-1. The center made it 4-for-4 — four games, four goals — and his score came after he won a faceoff in the Sens zone, then knocked in K’Andre Miller’s carom off the end boards.
The Sens pulled goalie Linus Ullmark and the Canes’ Sebastian Aho scored an empty-net goal for a 3-1 lead. Ottawa’s Dylan Cozens scored with 1:51 left to make it a 3-2 game, but Aho banged in another empty-netter with 1:15 remaining in the third to seal it as Canes goalie Frederik Andersen, rock solid in the series, notched a fourth straight win.
“He was amazing,” Canes forward Taylor Hall said of Andersen. “Ullmark was fantastic, too, but Freddie was just that much better, and it was awesome to see.”
It was the second seven-game series sweep in Hurricanes history — the Canes beat the New York Islanders in four games in the second round in 2019.
“The battle level, the way we stuck together, that was unbelievable,” Aho said. “There’s also some things we want to learn from, probably, but that’s the beauty of this thing.”
The Hurricanes, who never trailed in the series, played Saturday without forward Nikolaj Ehlers, out with a lower-body issue. Brind’Amour moved Nick Deslauriers into the lineup and on the fourth line as William Carrier moved to the Jordan Staal line.
Hall was booed every time he was on the ice. Hall had the hit on star defenseman Jake Sanderson in Game 3 that forced Sanderson out of the series with what Sens coach Travis Green said was a concussion.
Green called it a “blatant” hit to the head that should have been reviewed — Hall was called for a minor penalty — and thousands of Ottawa fans jeered Hall throughout Game 4.
Game 4 turns physical
Things turned ugly, ultra physical and a bit violent in the second period.
Sens defenseman Tyler Kleven put a massive hit on the Canes’ Alexander Nikishin after Nikshin had passed the puck. No penalty was called on Kleven, but Canes forward Andrei Svechnikov was called for a pair of roughing penalties after jumping in to defend Nikishin and pounding Kleven on the ice.
Nikishin, whose play has been solid in his second playoffs, had to be helped off the ice and did not return.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour did not have an update on Nikishin after the game but said, “Obviously there’s a concussion there or something. Looked like one.”
It was on after that. Deslauriers later went after Sens captain Brady Tkachuk, and there was a string of scrums and shoves as tempers flared. The Canes were called for eight penalties in the second — the last coming seconds before the period ended — while the Sens had just three.
In the midst of all the shenanigans, Hall gave the Canes a 1-0 lead at 15:15 of the second off a Mark Jankowski pass after Jankowski started the rush with a block near the blue line.
The Sens failed to score on three 5-on-3 power plays, but finally broke through 5-on-4 as Drake Batherson scored at 17:08 of the second for a 1-1 tie. It was Batherson’s third goal of the series and the Sens’ first power-play conversion.
The Batherson goal came moments after the Canes’ Jordan Martinook had a shorthanded chance turned away by Ullmark.
Hurricanes answer every challenge
The series began with Tkahuck challenging Staal to a fight, captain versus captain, after the opening draw in Game 1. Staal won that confrontation and the Canes did not back down at any point in the four games.
The Canes managed just two power-play goals in the series, but their penalty killing was elite — Ottawa was 1-for-21 on the power play. So was Andersen, who stopped 105 of 110 shots in the series in what Brind’Amour said was his best play in net since coming to the Hurricanes.
“Our penalty kill and Freddie was the difference,” Hall said.
There were flash points in the series and several heated exchanges in the second period Saturday, but the Canes maintained their poise and leaned on their playoff experience in the third to get the job done.
“We played a very mature third period,” Aho said.
And a mature series from the team that finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
“Whatever way the game goes, our group can handle it,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s a fine line you have to try and balance, and I thought we did a great job there. ... There was zero panic. I chalk that up to we’ve been down this road before.
“I loved the compete level of our group from Game 1 all the way through. ... We need everybody and I thought everybody had their hand in it.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 6:13 PM.
