Hurricanes survive Ottawa's desperate push, sweep Senators from 2026 NHL playoffs

Chip Alexander, The News & Observer on Apr 25, 2026

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

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.

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 the score came after he won a faceoff in the Sens zone after Jordan Staal had been booted from the circle.

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 notched a fourth win.

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 Hurricanes 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.

The Canes’ Taylor 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 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 as Sanderson was unable to play.

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.

It was on after that. Deslauriers later went after Sens captain Brady Tkachuk, and there were innumerable 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 — Carolina was 12 for 12 on the penalty kill in the first three games.

The Batherson goal came moments after the Canes’ Jordan Martinook had a shorthanded chance turned away by Ullmark.

Slow start for Hurricanes, Senators

Stankoven, whose line has carried the Canes offense, had a couple of chances in a scoreless first period to give Carolina the first goal for a fourth straight game.

But the center couldn’t convert on an early two-on-one rush and had Ullmark stop a shot from the slot about five minutes into the game.

The Senators came ever-so-close to scoring first, but Andersen warded off a Lar Ellers shot in front of the crease, the puck catching the crossbar and staying out.

____