The Carolina Hurricanes took a 2-0 series lead into Ottawa on Thursday after back-to-back wins over the Senators, including a 2-0 shutout in Game 1 and a 3-2 double-overtime victory in Game 2. Jordan Martinook scored the winner late in the extra session, and Ottawa now faces the possibility of falling into a 3-0 deficit.
Frederik Andersen set the tone with a shutout in the opener, while Linus Ullmark kept Ottawa close with the kind of save totals that made both losses look tighter than the scoreboard said. The series now shifts north with Game 3 carrying the kind of pressure that can change a matchup fast, especially when one team has already climbed to the edge of control.
Carolina came into the playoffs as one of the NHL’s top regular-season teams, finishing 53-22-7, while Ottawa ended at 44-27-11 after a stronger late push than its record might suggest. The difference so far has been the Hurricanes’ ability to control possession and shot volume, even as the Senators tried to answer with physical play and a few key chances of their own.
That balance has left Ottawa in a difficult spot. The Senators have kept the games close enough to feel dangerous, and their special teams have been listed at around a 24% power play, but they have not been able to turn that edge into a win. Now they need to do it at home, with the series already threatening to slip away before it really gets settled.
For Carolina, Thursday is less about surviving than about turning a strong start into a command that looks final. For Ottawa, it is about avoiding the kind of hole that makes every next game feel like the last chance.
