The Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators are set for a first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. Carolina will be the host team after clinching the best record in the Eastern Conference this season. Ottawa is thrilled just to be in the playoffs, going 26-12-6 from New Year’s on to snag the final spot. We have the bold predictions for the Hurricanes vs. Senators first-round series.
The Hurricanes and Senators have never played each other in a playoff series. In the very successful Rod Brind’Amour era in Carolina, Ottawa struggled to break out of its rebuild. After losing in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, the Senators are back in the postseason for the second straight year. But the Hurricanes haven’t lost in the first round since 2020, making this another hard matchup for Ottawa.
Can the Senators pull off the upset? Or will the Hurricanes keep their incredible success rolling?
Sebastian Aho leads the series in scoring
James Guillory-Imagn Images
One of the faces of this era of Hurricanes hockey is forward Sebastian Aho. After his eighth 25-goal season and fourth 80-point season, he heads into his eighth playoff appearance at just 28 years old. With 85 points in 89 postseason games, Aho has proven he can be an elite scorer in the biggest games. That will continue this year, as he will lead the Senators series in points.
Many of the criticisms of the Hurricanes in recent playoff failures have been their lack of scoring. They tried to trade for Mikko Rantanen to fix that problem, but he was not the right fit. He was traded at the 2025 NHL trade deadline before ever playing a playoff game. Aho taking a step forward would help solve that problem.
The Hurricanes have been great in the first round in recent years, and Aho will push them over the line this time once again.
Brady Tkachuk plays the playoff heel
If hockey fans have learned anything in 2026, it’s that Brady Tkachuk is a great heel. While he is not a WWE superstar and these events are not scripted, Tkachuk has leaned into being the villain in many ways. Even in the US, his home country, for which he won a Gold Medal in February, the Hurricanes fans will not love him. Expect the Tkachuk as a villain storyline to get even louder in this series.
Just like his brother, Brady will accomplish that by scoring goals and being a pest. While Tim Stutzle will likely outscore him, Tkachuk is an important piece of their powerplay. He will score multiple goals and finish second on the team in points. He will also get into at least one fight during the series, something he has tried to do down the stretch to push his team over the line.
The Senators believe they have the right recipe to win in the playoffs. A big ingredient in that recipe is Tkachuk annoying the opponent. That is what the Panthers have used his brother, Matthew, for on the path to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances. Brady played the role well for Team USA and should continue that for the Senators.
The Hurricanes beat the Senators in 5 games
The Senators put together an incredible run to make the playoffs, but it will all be for naught after just five games. For the sixth consecutive season, the Hurricanes will win in the first round and get into the second round. That is when things start to go south for Carolina, as they have lost there three times in the last five years. But the first round has been on autopilot for the Hurricanes.
The biggest flaw the Senators have that will hurt them is their goaltending. Linus Ullmark struggled to start the season, left the team for personal reasons, came back, and his numbers did not improve. If Leevi Merilainen or James Reimer can step up and steal games, things can change. But Brandon Bussi gives the Hurricanes a significant goaltending advantage.
The Hurricanes will have home-ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, including this first-round matchup with the Senators. The winner of this round will face the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers matchup in the second round. Will it be Carolina or Ottawa?
The Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators are set for a first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. Carolina will be the host team after clinching the best record in the Eastern Conference this season. Ottawa is thrilled just to be in the playoffs, going 26-12-6 from New Year’s on to snag the final spot.