The schedule for the Carolina Hurricanes ’ round one playoff games against the Ottawa Senators has been set, and the excitement is high coming off the heels of one of the Hurricanes’ best seasons on record.
How do the Hurricanes and Senators Playing Styles Matchup
Interestingly, the Hurricanes and Senators both utilize a very similar playing style. Prioritizing an offensive-heavy approach, they both focus on outworking their opponent in all three zones – but especially the offensive zone. Both teams are in the top 10 leaguewide for most shots on goal (Hurricanes 2nd, Senators 9th), and in the top three for fewest shots against (Hurricanes 1st, Senators 3rd).
With that being said, the Hurricanes lead the Senators in most general statistics and analytics, with the exception of shooting percentage (as expected due to the Hurricanes’ higher volume of shots on goal), and allowing more high-danger chances against.
In goaltending, the Hurricanes and Senators have both done well as of late.
For Ottawa, Linus Ullmark has notably improved since his leave of absence in late December. Before it, he was 14-9-5, with just a .881 save percentage. Since returning, he has notched a 14-4-3 record and a .904 save percentage.
Additionally, James Reimer has proven to be a solid backup since his signing during Ullmark’s absence, helping to gain 16 valuable points in the standings in 13 games played throughout the season.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have relied on the consistency of first-year NHLer, Brandon Bussi , to push them through injuries and slumps, where he earned a 31-6-2 record – tying for fourth most goalie wins leaguewide this season. After the Olympic break, he had a bit of a cold streak compared to what he had been producing, but even still, he went 8-3-1 in those games.
As for Frederik Andersen , the Olympics did him well , giving him a much-needed reset after his own cold streak began in early November. Prior to the Olympics, he posted a 7-10-5 record, but after putting up a great effort for Team Denmark, he finished the rest of the NHL season 9-4-0.
Statistically, the Hurricanes have the edge on the Senators, but there is no denying that both teams didn’t just survive a great deal of adversity in net but thrived despite it.
Also Read:: How Two Unlikely Goalies Saved Hurricanes and Senators Seasons
In the three games played between the Hurricanes and Senators, the Hurricanes won two. However, those wins did not come easily.
In their first meeting , the Hurricanes were outworked and outshot as they allowed 37 shots on goal (59 total shot attempts), and only put up 19 shots on goal (44 total shot attempts). The Senators kept the edge in physicality, nailing them with 34 hits to their 12, and also owned the faceoff dot for the most part, with the Hurricanes only winning a mere 32.1% of faceoffs. Ultimately, it was Bussi who saved their bacon, playing arguably the best game of his NHL career thus far, notching his highest save percentage in a single game (excluding his two shutouts, where he made 16 saves in each).
The second meeting was a similar story, as the Senators still outshot them 27-19, and put up 54 shot attempts to their 50. However, the Hurricanes threw around the body more than in the previous game, landing 20 hits to their 27, and improved in their faceoffs, making things an even 50-50. Additionally, they also saw an uptick in offensive zone starts, dropping the puck 61.4% of the time in the Senators’ zone, as opposed to the previous match’s 32.5%. The score was much closer, but still in the Hurricanes’ favor.
In their latest meeting , the Hurricanes did not have a great time against the Senators, who defeated them 6-3. They saw another loss in the dots, as they only won 39.1% of their draws. However, they brought a stronger offensive effort, putting up 28 shots to the Senators’ 31, and made 64 shot attempts to the Senators’ 56, as well as out-hitting Ottawa 30-28. Ultimately, the Senators blocked 22 of those shots.
The Hurricanes had three disadvantages in the game, however.
First off, they lacked both Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook from the lineup, as they were being rested. Secondly, they were on 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 travel. Finally, they had just clinched a playoff spot the night before, and as such, did not have to meet the same desperation level the Senators displayed.
All of the Hurricanes’ round one games will be broadcast by the local team on FanDuel Sports Network South, in addition to national broadcasts. However, it will likely be the final time we will ever 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 18th, 3:00 PM EDTWhere: Raleigh, N.C. | Lenovo Center
How to Watch: ESPN, FDSNSO, SN, OMNI, TVAS
Game 2
When: Monday, April 20th, 7:30 PM EDTWhere: Raleigh, N.C. | Lenovo Center
How to Watch: ESPN2, FDSNSO, SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC, TVAS
Game 3
When: Thursday, April 23rd, 7:30 PM EDTWhere: Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Centre
How to Watch: TBS, HBO MAX, FDSNSO, SN, CBC, TVAS
Game 4
When: Saturday, April 25th, 3:00 PM EDTWhere: Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Centre
How to Watch: TBS, TruTV, HBO MAX, FDSNSO, SN, TVAS, OMNI
Game 5 (if necessary)
When: Monday, April 27th, TBD
Where: Raleigh, N.C. | Lenovo Center
How to Watch: TBD, FDSNSO
Game 6 (if necessary)
When: Thursday, April 30th, TBD
Where: Ottawa, Ontario | Canadian Tire Centre
How to Watch: TBD, FDSNSO
Game 7 (if necessary)
When: Saturday, May 2nd, TBD
Where: Raleigh, N.C. | Lenovo Center
How to Watch: TBD, FDSNSO
Also Read:: Beyond Numbers: A Long, Hard Look at Hurricanes Goaltending Going Into Postseason
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