Hoppy Easter Sunday, everybody! The Ottawa Senators continue their dogged fight to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. Welcome back to NHL Predictions as we break down key storylines, statistics, and analysis to try to decipher how this one will play out. Ottawa is in desperate need of something good to happen, to turn their fortunes around, as good as they have been in 2025-26. Meanwhile, head coach Rod Brind’Amour has the Canes humming along like a finely tuned machine. Find out who we think takes this one next.

NHL Predictions with Senators and Hurricanes

Season Series: The Hurricanes have won a game in Ottawa and won one in Raleigh, North Carolina, to this point, both in regulation.

Puck Drop: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

How to Watch: RDS2, TSN5, FDSNSO

Location: The cozy confines of the Canadian Tire Centre, live from the capital region of Canada in Kanata, Ontario.

If the Ottawa Senators thought the Minnesota Wild was tough yesterday in their 4-1 loss, the Carolina Hurricanes look to be equally as tough. This is essentially it for the Ottawa Senators. If they lose this game, they will very likely have to win out to have a strong shot at the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Luckily, even with Ottawa’s loss to Minnesota yesterday, other teams in the playoff race lost, too. Therefore, Ottawa somehow finds itself in a playoff spot to open today’s action. Four teams are tied at 88 points entering play today, with only one playoff spot up for grabs. Thanks to yesterday’s results, Ottawa controls its own destiny, but they have no easy path.

Credit Image: © Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire

It was a tough loss to the Wild yesterday in more ways than one. Sometimes teams are able to expose the Sens backend. Not necessarily where they’re weak, but top opposition seems to be able to find the holes that are a by-product of their depleted defence. We have seen it often this season, but earlier in the season, it was a lack of NHL-experienced goaltenders.

Both these teams play a similar style, and this will help favour Ottawa since they can stick to playing their game. However, Carolina’s pace of play can always be tricky to defend. One stat that shows something similar, is their team save percentages. Carolina’s is .880, while Ottawa’s is .873.

Ottawa Seems to Just Keep Getting More Bad News

At the first intermission of the TSN broadcast yesterday, Bruce Garrioch was reminding us all the timetable for the defencemen, specifically. Jake Sanderson returned to the lineup, but it was a hard-fought game versus the Minnesota Wild. That will prove to be huge going forward.

Furthermore, he thought that Thomas Chabot‘s injury was of the nature that he would be closer to six weeks of total recovery time. Chabot last played on March 23rd, when he was injured against the New York Rangers. So, six weeks from then, is around the beginning of May.

Carter Yakemchuk is unfortunately in concussion protocol. So that is a typical minimum seven-day timetable. Finally, Tyler Kleven is out for two-to-three weeks. Perhaps if the games get real important, he could throw on the cage. Dennis Gilbert should return before Chabot. Therefore, eventually the Sens will have reinforcements coming back but perhaps beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, if they make it.

If Sens are going to have any hope, they need their forward lines scoring. The strength of their team is their four lines of scoring, and winning the matchup game. Unfortunately, with the poor defensive results this season, teams can gameplan to attack Ottawa ultimately, even if it may not be by the most conventional processes.

The Offensive Stars

Carolina is led offensively by Sebastien Aho. He has 77 points in 75 games for Carolina, so far this year. Four other Hurricane forwards have 21-or-more goals on the campaign, led by Seth Jarvis‘ 30.

Ottawa’s one-two in forward scoring popint leaders, have the exact same values as the Hurricanes. unfortunately for them, there is more of a drop off immediately after that. Tim Stutzle has 77 points in 76 games, and Drake Batherson is up to 65 points in 73 games.

The Goaltenders

The expected starters were Frederik Andersen and James Reimer. It is hard to know for sure, but the other tender played for both teams yesterday. On the second half of the back-to-back, we think each team switches it up. That might give Ottawa a slight edge, as Andersen boasts a 3.09 gaols-against average. Reimer is at a GAA of 2.42  since signing with the club back in January.

However, it is a great time for our disclaimer. Please check social media prior to puck drop, to see definitely who gets the nod, before setting your fantasy roster for the day.

NHL Predictions

The Hurricanes come in with wins of six of their last eight. In contrast, Ottawa is 1-3-1 in their last five. They have gotten a break or two in the rest of the results with teams in the race for the Eastern Conference Wild Card spots, but it is really getting down to it now.

Prediction: Ottawa 3 – Carolina 2

Prop Bets

We usually try to take the heat for the tricky picks, and that is why we go with anytime goal scorers. When they hit, it can be big. We are taking Andrei Svechnikov for the Carolina Hurricanes. In 75 games, he has 28 goals, off of a 15.0 shooting percentage. He only scored more goals than that once, in 2021-22 with 30. Therefore, he is pushing to set the benchmark for himself. Meanwhile, for Ottawa we are going with the Drake. He is up to 30 goals on the season, and has been scoring lately.

Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images

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