Senators Lose Game 3 (And Jake Sanderson), Now On Brink Of Being Swept By Carolina

For a second straight season, the Ottawa Senators have opened the Stanley Cup Playoffs with three straight losses. They fell 2–1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, and now trail their first-round best-of-seven series three games to none. Jackson Blake scored late in the second period to give Carolina a slim 2–1 advantage, but it somehow felt insurmountable on this night—much like a 5–1 game.

Blake scored just 1:23 after Drake Batherson had tied the game at one on a slick feed from Nick Cousins. That goal sent the Canadian Tire Centre crowd into a frenzy and should have given the Senators momentum heading into the second intermission. But Blake’s goal absolutely sucked the life out of the building.

K’Andre Miller was left wide open at the left point and walked right in. Logan Stankoven drove hard to the net, knocking over Thomas Chabot, which left Blake all the time he needed to corral a cross-ice pass from Miller and bury it into the open net. Stankoven had the other Canes' goal and now has three in as many games.

Taylor Hall helped set up both of Carolina’s goals, but his most damaging blow to the Senators was his direct headshot on defenceman Jake Sanderson. Sanderson tried to stay in the game but eventually left and did not return. Hall dropped a shoulder into Sanderson, making primary contact with the side of his head and creating the kind of rotational force that can often leads to more severe concussion symptoms.