Rachel Barkley
The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Ottawa Senators in the Canadian Tire Centre just 22 hours after the puck dropped in Lenovo Center for an Easter Sunday matchup. Carolina was the first team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot, while the Senators hang onto the bottom wild card.
The game is scheduled for 5:00 PM EDT.
In the Hurricanes’ last game, they exhibited strong play and a physical edge as they overcame a hungry New York Islanders team 4-3. The Islanders, who remain third in the Metropolitan Division, are only one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers.
In the game, Seth Jarvis unloaded a three-point game, including two goals and a shorthanded assist, and nearly topped it off with a hat-trick during the empty net situation, though the puck failed to find the net on both of his attempts. Additionally, Sebastian Aho’s shorthanded goal gave the Hurricanes sole possession of the most shorthanded goals leaguewide, surpassing the Calgary Flames with their 12th.
Meanwhile, Brandon Bussi stood strong in net, despite the extended periods of time between shots. The Hurricanes managed the puck exceptionally well, making 81 shot attempts (40 shots on goal) while only allowing 32 (15 shots on goal).
After the game, head coach Rod Brind’Amour complimented his group for their strong effort.
“The last minute got a little hairy, but overall, I just can’t say enough,” he told the media. “That was pretty impressive considering what’s at stake. I thought our guys just played the way we want them to, and we got what we deserve tonight.”
As for the Senators, their last game was a hard loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Taking a 4-1 beating, the only Senators player to find twine was Drake Batherson with less than four minutes left in the game.
In the Crease
For the Hurricanes, they are expected to turn to Frederik Andersen to mind the crease after Bussi took the pipes Saturday. His save percentage this season is .871, with a goals against average of 3.09 across a 14-13-5 record.
Meanwhile, the Senators have started Linus Ullmark three games in a row, but none have been back-to-back. The likely starting goalie will be former Hurricanes goaltender James Reimer, who has played both of the Senators’ games against Carolina this season. His save percentage this season is .882, with a goals against average of 2.42 across a 6-4-1 record.
Expected Carolina Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen / Brandon Bussi
Expected Ottawa Senators Lines
Fabian Zetterlund – Tim Stutzle – Drake Batherson
Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridly Greig
Michael Amadio – Shane Pinto – Claude Giroux
Warren Foegele – Lars Eller – Nick Cousins
Defense
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Nikolas Matinpalo – Jordan Spence
Lassi Thomson – Cameron Crotty
Goaltenders
James Reimer / Linus Ullmark
Special Teams
Carolina Hurricanes power play: 24.5% (5th, moved down one spot from previous game)
Carolina Hurricanes penalty kill: 80.8% (12th)
Ottawa Senators power play: 22.0% (12th)
Ottawa Senators penalty kill: 74.9% (30th)
Hurricanes Game Notes
Saturday, Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov participated in practice for the first time since undergoing hip surgery midway through the season. He did not take part in a full practice, but did take shots from the team, and had a conversation with the media afterwards.
With the Hurricanes having punched their playoff ticket, the nightly lineup may see changes to rest players and get games in for others.
How To Watch
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 99.9 The Fan
