Hurricanes shut out Senators
- The Carolina Hurricanes opened their first-round series with a 2–0 win over the Ottawa Senators. (abc11.com) - Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall scored while Frederik Andersen made key third-period stops to preserve the shutout. (abc11.com) - The opener featured high drama from the first faceoff, when Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Jordan Staal. (foxnews.com)
Carolina opened its first-round series by beating Ottawa 2-0 on Saturday, with Frederik Andersen posting a 22-save shutout in Raleigh. (nhl.com) Logan Stankoven scored the first goal at 9:42 of the second period, and Taylor Hall added another at 9:38 of the third. Stankoven finished with a goal and an assist, while Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark stopped 27 of 29 shots. (espn.com) The game started with a fight three seconds after puck drop, when Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk and Carolina captain Jordan Staal dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff. Each player received a five-minute major for fighting. (usatoday.com) Carolina entered the series as the Metropolitan Division winner and the Eastern Conference’s top seed at 53-22-7 for 113 points. Ottawa reached the playoffs as the East’s second wild card at 44-27-11 for 99 points. (espn.com) The result gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series that opened the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 2 is set for Monday night in Raleigh before the series shifts to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4. (cbc.ca) Andersen’s shutout was the sixth of his playoff career, according to NHL.com, and Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour’s decision to start the veteran over Brandon Bussi paid off immediately. Ottawa pushed in the third period, but Andersen preserved the lead. (nhl.com)
