Hurricanes vs. Senators: Round One, Game 1 – Lines, Notes, Goalies, and How to Watch
James Guillory-Imagn Images We’re finally there: the postseason. The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Ottawa Senators at home in Raleigh, officially kicking off the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first game on the NHL’s list. The game is scheduled for 3:00 PM EDT.
During the regular season, the Hurricanes had one of their best seasons on record, reaching second in franchise history in both wins and points, scoring the most goals in team history, and taking the top spot in the Eastern Conference for the first time ever. Meanwhile, the Senators battled through an immensely brutal Atlantic Division, managing to clinch their spot in the postseason just last Saturday, doing so with a win over the New York Islanders as the Detroit Red Wings lost to the New Jersey Devils. I recently went into a deep analysis, with many comparisons and stats between both of these teams, in the Playoff Primer.
You can read all about it here ! In the Crease During the Hurricanes’ two latest practices, Frederik Andersen had the starter’s crease in both. However, after practice Friday, head coach Rod Brind’Amour was tight-lipped on who would get the game 1 start, citing that he had not yet spoken to goaltending coach Paul Schonfelder.
This season, Frederik Andersen has notched a . 874 save percentage, with a goals against average of 3. 05 across a 16-14-5 record.
Additionally, Brandon Bussi has had a . 894 save percentage and a 2. 47 goals against average across a 31-6-2 record.