The Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tensions are high, the stakes even higher.<\/p>\n
From the opening faceoff, it was clear that the Ottawa Senators wouldn\u2019t bend easily to the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes. The captains \u2014 Ottawa winger Brady Tkachuk and Carolina center Jordan Staal \u2014 dropped the gloves as soon as the puck was in play, bringing Lenovo Center to a roar.<\/p>\n
A FIGHT TO START THE PLAYOFFS\u203c\ufe0f<\/p>\n
Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal immediately dropped the gloves \ud83d\ude33 pic.twitter.com\/LBokHjzq6B<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Much like Staal\u2019s fight with Tkachuk, the Canes (53-22-7) handled business, tromping the Senators (44-27-11) 2-0 in a physical Game 1 of the the opening series of the playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s playoff hockey,\u201d head coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour said. \u201cThe first round, everybody has got all the energy in the world, and that\u2019s kind of what you expect.\u201d<\/p>\n The captains\u2019 fight was only just the beginning of the physicality as the teams recorded a combined 96 hits throughout the game, matching each other blow for blow.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody out there was giving it all they had,\u201d Brind\u2019Amour said. \u201cNot a lot of room, and everybody was fighting for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n The physicality kept both offenses stagnant through the opening 20 minutes, but Carolina drew first blood when center Logan Stankoven rocketed the puck through the legs of Senator netminder Linus Ullmark.<\/p>\n Stankoven, who was acquired from the Dallas Stars in March 2025, has taken his game to the next level in his first full season in Raleigh, marking career-highs in goals, assists, points and shooting percentage.<\/p>\n \u201cVery grateful for another crack at the playoffs,\u201d Stankoven said. \u201cWe learned some lessons last year, and hopefully we can change that this year and go all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Ottawa continued to attack the Canes\u2019 defense, trying desperately to tie the match, but Carolina\u2019s brute force and diving saves kept it off the board.<\/p>\n It seemed all for naught as Senator winger Drake Batherson found an open look for the first time all night, attempting to slot the puck into the bottom right corner of the net. But Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen made one of his most impressive saves of the season, snatching the puck just millimeters before it crossed the goal line.<\/p>\n The Ottawa Senators were inches away from tying Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes but the NHL’s Situation Room ruled that the puck never crossed the line on a glove save by Frederik Andersen: https:\/\/t.co\/fR2ZidKri5<\/a> #OTTvsCAR<\/a> #Canes<\/a> #Sens<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zgdfJw3XVw<\/a><\/p>\n