Postseason hockey is back in Raleigh for the eighth straight season. This time, there's a new kid on the playground, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcomed the Ottawa Senators for their first-ever postseason encounter. Both sides tried to get off on the right foot as Game 1 kicked off the league-wide playoff slate on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes went with a lineup we're all too familiar with, giving us the same lines and defensive combos that we've seen for most of the season. Frederik Andersen drew the assignment to start the series, a decision that felt like it was cemented during his late-season run. The Senators countered with Linus Ullmark, who is going to be Ottawa's ride-or-die for the series.
The captains took it upon themselves to get the people talking. Jordan Staal and Brady Tkachuk immediately dropped the gloves. Tkachuk started hot, but Staal froze him with a stiff right, and they went down. The Canes got the better of play for most of the period, getting a few good looks. They also killed the first penalty of the series without much problem. After 20, things remained scoreless.
The first goal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes, and it was the Canes' hottest line doing the honors. All three forwards factored on the play, with Logan Stankoven's shot trickling under Ullmark's pads. It wasn't a pretty goal, but it counted all the same. It was all of the scoring we'd get in the middle frame, with the Canes up 1-0 after two.
STANK SCORES THE FIRST OF THE PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/WwsEuF8Xdm
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 18, 2026
After one of the most incredible penalty-killing sequences you'll see, the Stankoven line got another one. Alexander Nikishin's shot caused a massive scramble in the net. Stankoven got his stick on it as it hit Taylor Hall's skate and went into the net. The defense shut the door from there. They withstood a late 6-on-4 and got the shutout over the line, winning Game 1, 2-0.
Andersen, Stankoven line pick up where they left off
The skepticism with the goalie decision was understandable, but Frederik Andersen silenced some critics today. He wasn't tested much early. In the third, Andersen was the difference. The early penalty kill featured two unbelievable stops, the best of which was his glove stop. It was so good that they initially called it a goal. He stopped all 22 shots he faced, getting the playoffs started the right way.
Offensively, the best line on the ice was the same trio that led the charge after the pause. They combined for all six of the Hurricanes' points, with Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall recording a goal and an assist each, while Jackson Blake had two helpers. Alexander Nikishin wasn't credited with a point, but he played a big part in both goals, and that can't go unnoticed.
Fists and bodies were flying to open the series
You just knew when Jordan Staal and Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves off the opening draw that there would be carnage all over the ice to begin the series. The Senators are one of the most punishing teams in the league, but that by no means meant that the Hurricanes wouldn't be willing to meet their challenge. They showed that in Game 1.
The Canes outhit the Senators, 57-39. Andrei Svechnikov, who had an excellent game as well, led all skaters with eight hits. Stankoven added to his two points with six hits. There were spine-compressing checks throughout the game. Part of me thinks that it was this way because it was the first game of the playoffs. That being said, I also think the entire series will be this way.
Additional Thoughts
If there's one area of the game where the Canes struggled, it was on the power play. They had two 5-on-3 chances that failed as part of a 0-for-5 performance. They struggled to start with puck possession, though it didn't feel like it mattered much. Against one of the worst penalty kills in the league during the regular season, they need to be better.
On the flip side, the Canes' penalty kill was outstanding. Their first two kills were textbook, winning draws and preventing Ottawa from getting situated. They were tested much more in the third. The first one was all about Andersen. The second, in the final minutes of regulation, was the team selling out to block shots. Seth Jarvis came up with two big blocks to preserve the shutout and the win.
The Hurricanes have drawn first blood, and while there's a cut on Ottawa's cheek right now, the bell hasn't rung yet. Being shut out to open the series is certain to light a fire under the Senators to come back with a vengeance in Game 2. I don't take the Canes to be a group satisfied with one win, so it'll be on them to match the Senators' desperation.
Up Next: The series remains in Raleigh for Game 2, which is scheduled for 7:30 pm on Monday. From there, the series shifts to Ottawa. Game 3 is on Thursday night, giving us a two-day reprieve before the next two. Assuming Game 4 next Saturday afternoon isn't the final game of the series, the teams will return to Raleigh for Game 5 the following Monday.
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