For a team known for performing early in the postseason, the Carolina Hurricanes came out and acted like they'd been there before. Backed by a ton of physicality, a stellar performance from the Stankoven line, and a perfect start in the net by Frederik Andersen, the Canes took the early advantage in the series, winning 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
After their shutout victory in Game 1, the Hurricanes opted not to shake anything up. This meant rolling with the same crew that earned the 2-0 win, including Frederik Andersen back between the pipes. Artem Zub, who left Game 1 in the second period, missed Ottawa's morning skate and was unable to play tonight. Linus Ullmark was in the net.
The Canes didn't wait long to get the first goal, turning to a familiar trio to open the scoring on the power play. Taylor Hall fed Logan Stankoven at the top of the crease, and he buried it to get the home crowd jumping early. The Senators had a few incredible looks, but Andersen continued to look like a man possessed between the pipes. After 20 minutes, the 1-0 lead stood for the Canes.
The momentum kept rolling early in the second. After a successful kill, Sebastian Aho worked a pass from Jordan Staal past Ullmark to double the lead. Then, Ottawa got the bounce it had been craving. Drake Batherson's pass was blocked, so he roofed it himself to break through for the Sens. Dylan Cozens tied it with a leaky shot through Andersen's pads, sending us into the third deadlocked at two.
The Senators controlled most of the play in the third period, but Andersen wasn't ready to allow the go-ahead goal. On the other end, when the Canes mustered a little offense, Ullmark was there to shut the door. He made an incredible arm stop on Jordan Staal in the final seconds to prevent the Canes from grabbing the win, sending the sides to overtime for the first time in the series.
The Hurricanes thought they'd ended the game late in overtime after Mark Jankowski put a rebound into the net. However, a league-initiated challenge deemed that the Canes were offside. However, Jordan Martinook was awarded a penalty shot before the play happened, but his chance was denied. After all of that, the teams needed a fifth period.
Through it all, the Hurricanes came together to get the job done. After his penalty shot was denied, Martinook wouldn't be stopped a second time. With the captain screening Ullmark, Martinook picked on the glove side once again. This time, his shot caught iron and beat the Senators' goalie, securing the win and a 2-0 series lead.
Both goalies deserve an immense amount of praise for their work
Who would've thought before this series that Frederik Andersen and Linus Ullmark would be the stories for their respective teams through two games, and it would be a good thing? The tying goal that Ottawa scored late in the second wasn't good, but Andersen didn't allow that to change his night. He made a few incredible saves in the third period and both overtimes to earn his second win.
It genuinely felt like the Canes weren't going to score another goal against Ullmark after going up 2-0. His save on Taylor Hall is one of the most ridiculous stops I've ever seen. The game almost didn't get to overtime except he robbed Jordan Staal in the final seconds. It was going to take something perfect to beat him, and that's what happened. He has been Ottawa's best player, and it's not close.
The overturned goal remains a massive head-scratcher
I'll never claim to be a rules expert, but I'm genuinely unsure whether the officials are either. Of course, I would've liked for this game to have ended with Mark Jankowski's goal during the first overtime. Opinions are divided on the issue. The official statement from the league was that Jordan Staal possessed the puck but didn't have control, which seems like an oxymoronic explanation.
The NHL ruled Jordan Staal *did not* have possession of the puck while entering the zone. We've gone from black-and-white offside ruling to subjective. That's tough for Carolina.
— Cory Lavalette (@corylav) April 21, 2026
It's like the classic "what is a catch?" debacle in the NFL. I felt that Staal controlled and possessed the puck, leading to the flurry that eventually led to the overturned goal. The league certainly took its sweet time making its ruling, which adds to the frustration a little. It's a good thing that the Canes won this game because I'm convinced there might've been a riot if Ottawa found a way to steal it.
Additional Thoughts
The Stankoven line had another solid game, coming together for the power-play tally on the Canes' only chance tonight. Sebastian Aho also entered the chat, scoring his first goal and point. I'm still waiting for Seth Jarvis to get rolling. He would've had a point if Jankowski's goal stood, but he has been largely absent through two games.
We've seen a massive disparity in ice time between the teams' defensemen through two games. Ottawa is relying on its top three guys a ton, with Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot playing over 40 minutes and Jordan Spence nearly hitting it. It was far more evenly distributed for the Canes, with K'Andre Miller playing just under 35 minutes. These next two days are going to be huge for recovery.
Up Next: The series shifts to Canada's capital for the next two contests. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Ottawa Senators will play Game 3 on Thursday night, giving us a short, two-day break from the series, which I think we all need after tonight's contest. Game 4 will be at 3 pm on Saturday. If Ottawa wins one of the next two games, the series returns to Raleigh for Game 5 next Monday night.
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