2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Carolina Blanks Ottawa in Game 1 as Andersen Stars

Hurricanes shut out Senators in game 1 

Logan Stankoven scored the first goal of the 2026 playoffs and Taylor Hall added another as Carolina shut out Ottawa 2-0 to take a 1-0 series lead.  

Hurricanes blank Sens as Andersen, Stankoven, Hall lead game 1 win...

The Carolina Hurricanes shut out the Ottawa Senators 2-0 in Game 1 of their series on Saturday, becoming the first team to pick up a win in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen recorded his sixth career playoff shutout after stopping all 22 shots, with 13 of them coming in the third period alone from the Senators.

The Hurricanes’ big night came right after a puck-drop fight between Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal. From there, Carolina took over, outshooting the Senators 29-22 and outhitting them 57-39.

Carolina limited the Sens to just five shots on goal in the first period, even with an Ottawa power play, before Logan Stankoven scored the first goal of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs to give Carolina a 1-0 lead just two minutes into the second.

Ottawa had opportunities on their second power play with under five minutes left in the second, then again in the opening minutes of the third, but couldn’t convert on either.

The Senators nearly scored early in the third when they were initially credited with a goal. After review, though, Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen was ruled to have kept it out.

Carolina veteran Taylor Hall made it 2-0 after a scramble in front of the net, putting the game out of reach for the Senators.

Stankoven, originally credited with the goal, was awarded the assist.

All my homies love Seth Jarvis pic.twitter.com/Sx8cfj5KVN

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 18, 2026

Carolina got a 5-on-3 power play with 7:16 left in the third after Ottawa’s Fabian Zetterlund (slashing) and Shane Pinto (high-sticking) were each called for two-minute minors.

But Ottawa’s penalty kill held firm and prevented any further damage. The Senators later had a 6-on-4 chance after Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield took his second penalty of the period and Ottawa pulled its goalie, but again, they couldn’t break through.

GAME WON 😤 pic.twitter.com/F0WJGAvDta

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 18, 2026

Teams that went up 1-0 in their first-round series last year finished 6-2. Historically, teams that take Game 1 win the series 68% of the time.

Hall, Stankoven, and Andersen each led the way with a game-high 8.5 player rating.