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Logan Stankoven scored the go-ahead goal in the third period as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Saturday, completing a first-round playoff sweep. This win marked Carolina’s 4-0 series victory over Ottawa in a physical game filled with intense moments.
Stankoven’s goal, his fourth in as many games, came at 9:10 of the final period on a power play rebound off the end boards. Taylor Hall contributed a goal and an assist, while Sebastian Aho added two empty-net goals to seal the win for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. Frederik Andersen stopped 25 shots, and Seth Jarvis provided two assists for the Hurricanes.
For Ottawa, Drake Batherson scored once and assisted another, and Dylan Cozens also found the net. However, the Senators managed just five goals throughout the four games and never held a lead in the series. Goaltender Linus Ullmark made 26 saves, and rookie defenseman Carter Yakemchuk recorded two assists in his playoff debut.
Ottawa’s hopes of mounting a comeback dwindled further after falling behind 3-0 in the series. Historically, only four NHL teams have come back from such a deficit to win a best-of-seven series: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1980 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and 2014 Los Angeles Kings. Last spring, Ottawa also found themselves down 3-0 in the opening round against Toronto before eventually losing in six games.
Despite a late push, Ottawa’s anemic power play once again struggled. Batherson came close to tying the game again with six minutes left, but the Senators couldn’t capitalize during a crucial penalty kill by Carolina. Aho’s empty-net goals extended the Hurricanes’ lead after Cozens made it 3-2 with just under two minutes left.
The Hurricanes had set the tone early on, claiming the first two home games 2-0 and 3-2 (in double overtime) before a gritty 2-1 win in Game 3. Ottawa’s defense was further tested after Jake Sanderson suffered a concussion from an illegal hit by Hall on Thursday. Sanderson joined injured teammates Artem Zub and Nick Jensen, complicating an already depleted blue line that has seen Ottawa use 12 defensemen since the Olympic break.
The game’s physicality escalated in the second period, with Hall opening the scoring at 15:15, beating Ullmark five-hole after Mark Jankowski blocked a shot at the other end. Ottawa finally powered through on the man advantage at 17:08 when Batherson tipped home a Tim Stutzle one-timer, sparking their only sustained momentum.
Earlier in the period, tensions boiled over after Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven delivered a massive hit on Hurricanes’ Alexander Nikishin, leaving Nikishin dazed and requiring a delay to leave the ice. Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk responded by mixing it up with Hall and Jalen Chatfield, sparking a large scrum at center ice in which Carolina’s Nicolas Deslauriers sought revenge.
Ottawa’s power plays continued to fall short, notably failing to capitalize on a two-man advantage that had looked promising. The Senators repeatedly struck posts and crossbars throughout the series, including in Saturday’s matchup when Lars Eller fired just wide in the first period. Ottawa also failed to land a shot on a brief two-man advantage later in the frame.
Meanwhile, Ullmark made key stops, including a save against Jordan Staal on a short-handed breakaway and multiple sequence saves during Carolina’s power plays. Defensively, Nikolas Mantipalo smothered a dangerous Aho chance from the slot.
Carolina’s disciplined, hard-fought effort earned them the sweep and advanced them deeper into the playoffs, while Ottawa’s season came to an abrupt and disappointing end after showing flashes but ultimately falling short.
