Thoughts From My Couch

It took a week to get back onto the ice for a game, but the Carolina Hurricanes waited patiently for the opportunity. It proved fruitful for the group, allowing Nikolaj Ehlers to return to the lineup after suffering injury before Game 4 against Ottawa. Alexander Nikishin was not ready to return just yet. As the top team in the East, the expectations remain sky high for the Canes, and they'll have a pesky division foe to contend with in the second round. The Philadelphia Flyers emerged victorious following the Battle of Pennsylvania, beating in-state rival Pittsburgh in six games to advance. They'll be without a valuable part of their offense, Owen Tippett, to start the series, but there is still plenty to keep the Canes busy. In the net, two incredible hot goalies will go at it. Frederik Andersen allowed just five goals during Carolina's sweep, while Dan Vladar closed the Flyers' series with a 42-save shutout. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (1:31)- Logan Stankoven (5) (...

The Carolina Hurricanes had the opportunity to finish the job on Saturday afternoon in the Senators' barn. All they needed to do was win one more game to send them to the next round. The Canes were dealt their first bit of adversity in the series, with the news that Nikolaj Ehlers wouldn't be able to play today. That didn't change the objective. One more win, and it would be the toughest of them all to get. The Senators have dealt with adversity this entire series. They lost one defenseman in Game 1. Then, they lost another in Game 3. Neither would be available today. It made their job that much harder as they tried to begin their climb out of this three-game hole. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (15:15)- Taylor Hall (2) (Mark Jankowski (1) & Eric Robinson (2)) OTT (17:08-PP)- Drake Batherson (3) (Tim Stutzle (1) & Carter Yakemchuk (1)) 3rd Period CAR (9:10-PP)- Logan Stankoven (4) (K'Andre Miller (3) & Taylor Hall (5)) CAR (17:38-EN)- Sebasti...

There's a change of venue for the next two games, but the job for the Carolina Hurricanes remains the same. They have a 2-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators, but two wins won't earn you a series victory. Four wins will. They have five chances to win two games, and it starts tonight in Ottawa. The Canes seem content with the way things have been, leading to no changes with their lineup, including a third-straight start for Frederik Andersen. Ottawa seems poised to get a boost with the return of Tyler Kleven. They're also shaking up their lines a little after scoring just twice in the first two games of the series. It'll be on the Canes to handle these changes and the rowdy Ottawa crowd to keep their momentum rolling from Monday night. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (5:13)- Logan Stankoven (3) (Taylor Hall (3) & Eric Robinson (1)) 2nd Period OTT (16:06)- Drake Batherson (2) (Nick Cousins (1)) CAR (17:29)- Jackson Blake (1) (K'Andre Miller (2) & Taylor Hall...

After getting off to an excellent start with their win on Saturday afternoon, there was no room for the Carolina Hurricanes to become complacent. While they won the game, they needed two goals from their second line and a perfect performance from Frederik Andersen in the net to get it done. A win this time of year is great, regardless of the way it came to be, but they needed more from everyone else in the lineup to make sure they made it two. The Senators were certain to come out hungry after being shut out. It would be up to the Canes to match their hunger and tenacity, while staying within themselves and playing their game. Scoring Summary 1st Period CAR (6:31-PP)- Logan Stankoven (2) (Taylor Hall (2) & Jackson Blake (3)) 2nd Period CAR (7:50)- Sebastian Aho (1) (Jordan Staal (1)) OTT (10:47)- Drake Batherson (1) (Jake Sanderson (1)) OTT (16:40)- Dylan Cozens (1) (Ridly Greig (1) & Jake Sanderson (2)) 3rd Period None Overtime None 2nd Overtime CAR (13:53)- Jordan Martinook (...

Every record is wiped clean, and teams are all back at the starting line as the 2026 postseason gets underway today. The Carolina Hurricanes hope that this is their year, while the Ottawa Senators, a popular upset pick among many experts, try to spoil one of the best seasons in Hurricanes history. While the series couldn't be won or lost today, the result of Game 1 could go a long way in setting the tone for how the rest of the series would play out. The Canes won the season series during the regular season, but the Senators won the most recent meeting in Ottawa a few weeks ago. Frederik Andersen got the opener for the Canes, while Linus Ullmark was on the other side. With a lot on the line over the next few weeks, each side tried to get out in front of it. Scoring Summary 1st Period None 2nd Period CAR (2:11)- Logan Stankoven (1) (Jackson Blake (1) & Taylor Hall (1)) 3rd Period CAR (7:15)- Taylor Hall (1) (Logan Stankoven (1) & Jackson Blake (2)) My Thoughts If there was e...

Eastern Conference M1. Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2.  Ottawa Senators Season Series- The Hurricanes won two out of three against the Senators. They split the games in Ottawa, with the Canes winning, 4-1, in January, while Ottawa won the most recent battle, 6-3, a few weeks ago. The only game in Raleigh was a 4-1 Carolina win in February. Postseason History- This will be the 1st postseason meeting between these two teams. The Canes are in their eighth straight postseason, trying to reach at least the conference finals for the fourth time during that span. Ottawa is in for the second straight season, losing to Toronto in six games last April. Prediction- There is a part of me that just wants to say "Carolina in 5" because of my die-hard fandom for the Hurricanes. However, the rational hockey brain in me won't allow that to happen. This is the toughest opening-round opponent the Hurricanes have faced since the 2019 Capitals, when the Canes were the up-and-coming team. Now, th...