Hurricanes sweep Senators, advance to second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Haley O’Neill, Assistant Sports Editor

For the fourth game in a row, center Logan Stankoven found the net for the Canes, helping them become the first team to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Canes (53-22-7) swept the Senators (44-27-11), beating them four games to none and winning the final game 4-2 to advance to the second round. Three different Canes players recorded a goal to help push their team one round closer to the Stanley Cup.

With a one-goal advantage for Carolina and the clock winding down in the third, Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark retreated to the bench to put an extra skater on the ice. Center Sebastian Aho capitalized on this opportunity, sending a wrist shot into the empty net off an assist from center Seth Jarvis.

For the first time in this series, center Logan Stankoven wasn’t the guy to score the opening goal, but it still belonged to Carolina. Winger Taylor Hall received a cross-ice pass from winger Mark Jankowski to skate onto and snap into the back of the net past Ullmark.

While both teams have struggled to score on the power play this series, Game 4 was different. Late in the first, defenseman Sean Walker suffered a two-minute minor for high sticking, giving Ottawa a man advantage. Finally getting the power play to work for the Senators, winger Drake Batherson tipped in a shot from center Tim Stützle to tie the game at one.

Stankoven still found the scoresheet, taking advantage of a power play to give Carolina a 2-1 lead. The Canes executed their power-play scheme while Stankoven sat outside the crease and waited for the puck to find him. Eventually, it did, and Stankoven snapped it into the net before Ullmark could reposition himself.

Ottawa cut the lead to one again, trading its goalie for offense in one final attempt to extend the series. Aho put that to rest quickly, skating through traffic to score another empty netter, moving the game out of reach once again and taking the Canes to the second round of the playoffs.

The Hurricanes will play either the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round. The Flyers currently lead that series 3-1, with Game 5 in Pittsburgh set for Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m.