Hey, it's those 2025-26 Carolina Hurricanes again. We went a little out of order by talking about their second-round sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in the week, so let's look at the first of those two sweeps that helped them make history. After all, you can't win eight in a row without winning the first four beforehand.
Similarly to the Flyers, the Ottawa Senators were fighting for a playoff spot during the latter part of the year. At the Olympic Break, they were six points out of a Wild Card spot and well outside of the Top 3 in the Atlantic Division. It was not looking good for the group after making the playoffs in 2025. Then, things turned around in a big way.
The Red Wings flaming out at the end of the season certainly helped, but the Senators got hot at the right time. They went 16-5-4 down the stretch, recovering to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division and easing into the second Wild Card spot, four points clear of the Capitals. They nearly jumped the Bruins for the first Wild Card, finishing one point back to finalize a meeting with the Hurricanes.
#17: The Canes kick off their Cup campaign with a sweep of the Senators
At the drop of the puck for Game 1, we knew this was going to be a fight. Jordan Staal and Brady Tkachuk immediately dropped the gloves. Both goalies were perfect in the first period. Early in the second, the Stankoven line started it. After Alexander Nikishin kept the puck in the zone, the forwards worked it around for Logan Stankoven to slide it five-hole for the first goal of the postseason.
Frederik Andersen continued to impress, making two incredible stops to deny Ottawa's power play in the third. A few minutes later, the Canes got another one. Nikishin's shot was stopped, but the same trio from the opening goal kept fighting for it. Eventually, Stankoven banked it off Taylor Hall's skate to double the lead. Backed by Andersen's 22 stops, the Canes secured a 2-0 win to start the series.
Game 2 was probably the most memorable of the lot, thanks to some extra-time shenanigans. The contest started with the Stankoven line scoring again. On the power play, Hall found Stankoven in front of the net, giving all three forwards points on the first three goals of the series. It sure would've been nice for the rest of the team to get in on the scoring.
Ask, and you shall receive. As the Senators' power play was finishing in the second period, Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho escaped on a 2-on-1. Aho finished the play, extending the Canes' lead. Ottawa wasn't going down silently this time. Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens scored during the second half of the middle frame, tying the game at two, where things stood after a scoreless third.
In overtime, the Canes thought they'd won it. Mark Jankowski buried a rebound, sending the crowd into a frenzy. However, the goal was reviewed for potential offside almost 30 seconds before the puck went in, which the league confirmed, wiping the goal out. Additionally, Jordan Martinook was hooked on a breakaway at the beginning of the sequence, resulting in a penalty shot. Confused?
Martinook was denied by Linus Ullmark, and the tie remained after 80 minutes. In double overtime, Martinook got his revenge. Late in the fifth period, he snapped a shot from the slot past a screened Ullmark to rightfully win the game for the Canes. I felt that the first goal should've counted, so this felt like vindication for that. Either way, Carolina led the series 2-0.
A few hard hits highlight a business-like trip to Ottawa for the Hurricanes
With all of the momentum on their side and the Senators owning one of the worst series records when they trail 2-0, everything should've told us how the next two games would go. Game 3 started the same way the first two had. Stankoven smacked a one-timer past Ullmark from the left dot, giving him the game-opening goal once again.
Hall found himself in hot water with the Ottawa fans early in the second period after a hit on Jake Sanderson. The main point of contact was Sanderson's head, though it also didn't appear intentional. Hall was given a penalty for an illegal hit to the head, and Sanderson's series came to an end shortly after, which proved to be a big loss for the Senators.
Late in the second, Batherson scored again, tying the game at one. The Canes' response was quick. K'Andre Miller froze the Senators' defense by selling his shot. Instead, he hit Jackson Blake with a beautiful cross-seam pass, and Blake didn't miss, regaining the lead 83 seconds later. Once again, Andersen shut the door, preserving the lead to put Carolina at a commanding 3-0 series advantage.
The temperature rose in Game 4, beginning in the second period when Tyler Kleven caught Nikishin with a hit, which the league deemed was clean. Another skirmish ensued midway through the period between Tkachuk and Nicolas Deslauriers. When everyone came together, Ridly Greig got away with a sucker punch against Sean Walker that the league eventually caught and suspended him for.
Ultimately, games are won on the scoreboard. Hall broke the stalemate late in the period by slipping one through Ullmark's pads. Batherson responded on the power play less than two minutes later, sending the sides into the third tied at one. The Canes' power play got another in the third. Stankoven collected a missed shot off the endboards and put it home for his fourth goal of the series.
Aho found the empty net with 2:22 left to push his group ahead by two. Cozens tried to get the late comeback rolling by getting his shot past Andersen, but Aho's second empty-netter sealed the deal. For just the second time in franchise history in a best-of-seven series, the Hurricanes swept their way to victory, finishing the Senators in four games with a 4-2 win.
It was as clean a sweep as the Hurricanes could've asked for. At no point during this series did they trail, scoring first in all four games to put themselves at an advantage. It's a real shame because Linus Ullmark was outstanding. The Senators' netminder finished with a .932 save percentage and a 2.03 GAA, dwarfed only by the fact that Frederik Andersen had a .955/1.10 line to go with his four wins.
Offensively, it was the Stankoven line carrying the load. Taylor Hall (2-5-7), Logan Stankoven (4-1-5), and Jackson Blake (1-3-4) were the top three scorers on the team in the series, accounting for 64 percent of the team's goals and points. Only Sebastian Aho (3) and Jordan Martinook (1) added goals. All of Ottawa's goals came from two players, Drake Batherson (3) and Dylan Cozens (2).
It didn't look like the Hurricanes broke much of a sweat in the opening round. However, this was a tighter series than some of the numbers might indicate. This, paired with the craziness of Game 2, is why I have it ranked higher than the Flyers series. There's more from this Cup run to come, but there are a few detours to take before talking about Montreal.
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