Faceoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET
Venue: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Broadcast: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network (FDSN), Sportsnet (SN), TVA Sports (TVAS)
This marks the first-ever postseason meeting between the Senators and Hurricanes. Carolina enters as the top seed in the East with home-ice advantage and one of the league’s most complete rosters, while Ottawa rides a late-season surge that turned a long-shot wild-card berth into playoff momentum. Expect a high-pace, structured battle featuring elite defensive play, goaltending questions, and star power up front.
Team Records and Recent Form
Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7): Dominated the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. They posted one of the NHL’s top 5-on-5 expected goals percentages (second league-wide) and boasted a rock-solid home record (29-10-2). Recent form was strong despite a couple of late hiccups: wins over Columbus, NY Islanders (2-1 on Apr 14), Utah, Chicago, and Boston (OT), with a loss to Philadelphia and the Apr 5 road loss to Ottawa. Carolina went 7-3 in their final 10 regular-season games and looked playoff-ready with elite puck possession.
Ottawa Senators (44-27-11): Climbed from the basement with a heroic late push (roughly 23-8-5 since mid-January). They clinched the second Eastern wild card and finished hot, including wins over Tampa Bay, Florida, NY Islanders, and a 6-3 victory over Carolina on Apr 5. Ottawa was 7-2-1 or better in their final stretch and showed resilience on the road (21-15-5). Their point percentage since March 1 matched Carolina’s at around .733.
Injury Report
Ottawa Senators:
Tyler Kleven (D): Day-to-Day (upper body) – skated in non-contact jersey Friday; coach Travis Green indicated he is “closer” but no firm Game 1 confirmation.
Nick Jensen (D): Out for season (knee/lower body).
Brady Tkachuk (F, captain): Cleared after recent health scare (brief vision loss, no head contact); full participant and expected to play.
Core pieces like Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson (returned Apr 4 from upper-body issue), and Linus Ullmark are healthy.
Carolina Hurricanes:
No significant injuries reported. Pyotr Kochetkov (G) has returned from lower-body surgeries and is available as the third goalie option.
Goaltending rotation: Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi both fully healthy; coach Rod Brind’Amour has not named a Game 1 starter (Andersen practiced in the starter’s crease recently, but rotation remains fluid). No scratches or day-to-day concerns for skaters.
Depth on the blue line for Ottawa could be tested if Kleven is unavailable.
Key Player Matchups
Linus Ullmark (OTT) vs. Frederik Andersen / Brandon Bussi (CAR): Ullmark (5-1-0 in last six starts, .927 SV%) is locked in for Ottawa. Carolina’s veteran Andersen (playoff-proven .914 career SV% in 85 games) or rookie Bussi (strong regular season) gives the Canes flexibility and a potential edge.
Jake Sanderson (OTT D) vs. Jaccob Slavin (CAR D): Highlight matchup of the series. Slavin remains one of the NHL’s premier shutdown defenders; Sanderson’s two-way excellence could be Ottawa’s X-factor if he neutralizes Carolina’s top threats.
Tim Stützle / Brady Tkachuk (OTT) vs. Sebastian Aho / Carolina shutdown lines: Stützle (team-leading ~83 points) and physical captain Tkachuk will test Carolina’s structure. Aho (80 points) anchors Carolina’s attack; expect heavy checking-line matchups and special-teams battles.
Secondary pieces: Ridly Greig / Shane Pinto (OTT) vs. Carolina’s depth forwards; Ottawa’s offensive finishers must convert against a stingy Canes defense.
Carolina’s 5-on-5 dominance and transition game will clash with Ottawa’s speed and playoff-tested grit.
Series History
Playoffs: 0-0 (first-ever meeting).
Regular season all-time: Hurricanes lead 67-47-13 (approx.).
2025-26 season series: Carolina took it 2-1 (11-11 total goals across three games). Recent head-to-heads have been competitive and high-scoring, with Ottawa winning the most recent regular-season clash 6-3 on Apr 5.
Betting Trends
Hurricanes are 96-39 as home favorites this season and strong in revenge spots.
Over has hit in 3 of the last 4 head-to-head meetings and in 42 of Ottawa’s last 82 games.
Senators covered the spread in 6 straight and 7 of 8 in April; they are 8-3 Over as road underdogs.
Carolina is 2-3 in last 5 but dominant at home; totals have pushed Over in recent playoff-style games.
Game Odds
Ottawa Senators 6.5
Carolina Hurricanes – 148
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, April 17, 2026
