The Carolina Hurricanes' first round playoff game against the Ottawa Senators has been scheduled, and excitement is high due to one of the Hurricanes' best seasons on record.
How do the playing styles of the Hurricanes and Senators match up?
Interestingly, both the Hurricanes and Senators utilize a similar playing style. Preferring an attack-heavy approach, they both focus on outscoring their opponent in all three areas – but especially in the offensive zone. Both teams are in the top 10 in the league for most shots on goal (Hurricanes 2nd, Senators 9th), and in the top three for fewest shots (Hurricanes 1st, Senators 3rd).
That being said, with the exception of shooting percentage, the Hurricanes lead the Senators in most general statistics and analytics (as expected due to the Hurricanes' high volume of shots on goal), allowing more high-danger opportunities.
Hurricanes goaltending vs. Senators goaltending
In goaltending, both the Hurricanes and Senators have performed well recently.
For Ottawa, Linus Ullmark has improved markedly since his leave of absence in late December. Before that, he was 14-9-5 with just an .881 save percentage. Since returning, he has posted a 14–4–3 record and a .904 save percentage.
Additionally, James Reimer has proven to be a solid backup since signing during Ullmark's absence, helping him lead the standings with 16 valuable points in 13 games played throughout the season.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have relied on the consistency of first-year NHLer, Brandon Bussey, to overcome injuries and slumps where he compiled a 31-6-2 record – tied for the fourth-most goaltender wins across the league this season. After the Olympic break, his performances were a bit subdued compared to what he was producing, but still, he went 8-3-1 in those games.
As for Frederik Andersen, the Olympics did well for him and gave him a much-needed reset after his own bad situation began in early November. Prior to the Olympics, he had posted a record of 7–10–5, but after a stellar effort for Team Denmark, he finished the remainder of the NHL season 9–4–0.
Statistically, the Hurricanes have the edge over the Senators, but it can't be denied that both teams have not only survived a lot of adversity in net, but thrived in spite of it.
How did the Hurricanes fare against the Senators in the season series?
Of the three games played between the Hurricanes and Senators, the Hurricanes won two. However, those victories did not come easily.
January 24 – Hurricanes win 4–1
In their first meeting, the Hurricanes were outshot and had 37 shots on goal (59 total shot attempts) and only 19 shots on goal (44 total shot attempts). The Senators held the edge in physicality, giving them 12 of their 34 hits, and also owned the faceoff dot for the most part, with the Hurricanes winning only 32.1% of faceoffs. Ultimately, it was Busey who saved his bacon, playing the best game of his NHL career to date, recording his highest save percentage in a single game (except for his two shutouts, where he made 16 saves in each).
February 3 – Hurricanes win 4–3
It was a similar story in the second meeting, as the Senators still outshot them 27–19, attempting 54 shots compared to their 50. However, the Hurricanes threw around the body more than in the previous game, giving up 20 of their 27 hits, and their faceoffs improved, making things even 50–50. Additionally, he also saw an increase in offensive zone starts, dropping the puck in the Senators zone 61.4% of the time, as opposed to 32.5% the previous match. The score was very close, but still in favor of the Hurricanes.
April 5 – Senators win 6–3
In their latest meeting, the Hurricanes did not have a good time against the Senators, defeating them 6–3. He saw another defeat in Dots, as he won only 39.1% of his draws. However, they produced a strong offensive effort, making 28 shots to the Senators' 31, and 64 shot attempts to the Senators' 56, as they defeated Ottawa 30–28. Ultimately, the Senators blocked 22 of those shots.
However, the Hurricanes suffered three losses in the game.
First, they were missing both Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook from the lineup, as they were being rested. Secondly, they were in the second half of a back-to-back, going from a 7:00 pm puck drop to a 5:00 pm puck drop, which included a trip. After all, they had clinched a playoff berth the night before, and thus, did not have to meet the same level of frustration displayed by the Senators.
Round One Schedule and Broadcast Information
All Hurricanes first-round games will be broadcast by the local team on FanDuel Sports Network South, in addition to the national broadcast. However, this will likely be the last time we see broadcasts from FDSNSO, as it is expected to shut down indefinitely at the conclusion of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
game 1
When: Saturday, April 18, 3:00 pm EDT
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: ESPN, FDSNO, SN, OMNI, TVAS
game 2
When: Monday, April 20, 7:30 pm EDT
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: ESPN2, FDSNO, SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC, TVAS
game 3
When: Thursday, April 23, 7:30 pm EDT
Where: Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Center
How to watch: TBS, HBO Max, FDSNO, SN, CBC, TVAS
game 4
When: Saturday, April 25, 3:00 pm EDT
Where: Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Center
How to watch: TBS, TruTV, HBO Max, FDSenzo, SN, TVAS, Omni
game 5 (if necessary)
When: Monday, April 27, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TBD, FDSNSO
game 6 (if necessary)
When: Thursday, April 30, TBD
Where: Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Center
How to watch: TBD, FDSNSO
game 7 (if necessary)
When: Saturday, May 2, TBD
Where: Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center
How to watch: TBD, FDSNSO
