3 Takeaways From Hurricanes’ 2-0 Shutout Win Over Senators – Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

After days of waiting, the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway. As for the Carolina Hurricanes, they begin their quest for another deep playoff run in their eighth straight postseason under Rod Brind’Amour. They took on the Ottawa Senators for the first time in the postseason, and from the jump, Game 1 was physical. What stood out in the Hurricanes’ 2-0 win to take a 1-0 lead over the Senators?

Takeaway #1: Frederik Andersen Closes The Door

One of the questions coming into the series was goaltending, especially for the Hurricanes with Frederik Andersen’s up and coming season, and Brandon Bussi’s inexperience in the playoffs. Andersen made a huge save in Game 1 to preserve the shutout. In the third period, the Senators thought they had the game-tying goal on a shot by Drake Batherson. At first, teammates thought the puck had gone into the goal, but instead, Andersen took a robbery penalty to keep the game 1-0.

He went on to save 22 Senators shots in his sixth playoff shutout, giving the Hurricanes a 1-0 series lead on Saturday evening (April 18). While he went 16-14-5 in the regular season, there’s no doubting Andersen’s 20-12 record since joining the Hurricanes. He had a 2.02 goals against average (GAA) and a .907 save percentage (SV%) last season. As of now, he has a 0.00 GAA and a 1.000 SV% after Game 1.

Takeaway #2: The Second Line Is Always Red Hot

While Andersen played a perfect game in the crease, the Hurricanes’ second line carried their regular season momentum into the playoffs. As for the Hurricanes’ two goals, Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall, and Jackson Blake had a hand in both. All three players had high-scoring nights, giving them six points to go 2-0. Stankoven gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead in the second half after a smart pass from Hall to Blake set up a one-touch pass to Stankoven, who eventually found it to Linus Ullmark.

After Andersen’s big save on Batherson in the third period, denying the game-tying goal, Hall made it 2-0 minutes later. He was able to double the Hurricanes lead, giving the three guys a multi-point game. Three Hurricanes players were the only players to score in the win. Blake and Stankoven had 22 and 21 goals, respectively, during the regular season, while Hall had 18. Although they have been one of the Hurricanes’ best lines all season, it seems like the playoffs won’t slow them down after the Game 1 performance.

Takeaway #3: Setting the Tone

While Andersen got a sixth shutout and the second line scored all six points in the win, it was Jordan Staal who set the tone three seconds into the game. In the opening of the puck, he dropped the gloves with Brady Tkachuk and took the first win of the battle to set the tone. The tone and tempo was certainly set as the Hurricanes had 57 hits, 21 in the first half alone.

A few games ago, the argument was that the Hurricanes weren’t a physical team. It’s safe to say after Game 1, where they had 57 hits while controlling the tempo and setting the tone, the Hurricanes aren’t messing around this time. They have been to the Eastern Conference Finals twice in the last three seasons. However, this time, there seems to be a different mindset and attitude inside the Carolina locker room. If they keep this up, this could be something to watch for in the series and the postseason.

Although there is still a long way to go in this series, let alone the playoffs, that Game 1 victory was huge for the Hurricanes. Their next game is Monday night (April 20) at 7 pm Eastern. Will they be able to take what they did in Game 1, learn from it, be ready to be pushed by the Senators, and take it to Game 2? Only time will tell, but what a way to start the series and the playoffs with a shutout win in Game 1.