Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake Lead Hurricanes to 2-1 Victory Over Senators in Game 3

April 24, 2026 — The Carolina Hurricanes took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators with a 2-1 road win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ontario.

Logan Stankoven opened the scoring for the third consecutive game, continuing his strong start to the postseason. Jackson Blake later added the game-winning goal in the second period, marking his fourth point of the series. The Hurricanes’ second line of Stankoven, Blake and Taylor Hall remained dominant throughout the contest.

Frederik Andersen made 21 saves in net for Carolina, while Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots. Drake Batherson was responsible for Ottawa’s lone goal.

The Senators suffered a significant setback when defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game after a hit to the head from Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall. Ottawa also failed to capitalize on five power-play opportunities, including a five-on-three advantage in the second period.

“That’s how you want to play on the road in the playoffs,” said Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “The start was important, and then I thought we played hard the rest of the night. Everyone contributed. That’s how we’ve got to get it done.”

Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot criticized his team’s performance, particularly on special teams: “Lots and lots of penalties. Our power play was awful.”

With the loss, Ottawa now faces a 3-0 series deficit for the second consecutive year, having lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games last spring. Carolina can close out the series as early as Saturday afternoon in Game 4 at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Hurricanes have advanced to the second round in five straight seasons and reached the conference finals in two of the last three years.