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The Carolina Hurricanes open their 8th straight trip to the NHL playoffs against the Ottawa Senators
TL;DR
The Carolina Hurricanes begin their eighth consecutive NHL playoff appearance against the Ottawa Senators. The series starts with Game 1 on Saturday, as the Hurricanes aim to advance past the Eastern Conference final after previous near misses.
Key points
- Carolina Hurricanes are the Eastern Conference's top seed.
- This is the Hurricanes' eighth consecutive playoff appearance.
- Ottawa Senators secured a wild-card spot after a strong finish.
- Game 1 of the series is set for Saturday.
Carolina HurricanesOttawa Senators
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes battled through the regular season to claim the Eastern Conference's top seed for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yet the coming weeks will determine whether this season is considered a success, starting with a best-of-7 series against the Ottawa Senators. This is the eighth consecutive playoff appearance for the Hurricanes, whose active postseason streak is surpassed only by Colorado and Tampa Bay at nine years. So regular-season success isn't new. Nor is postseason success with 10 series wins in this run. But they've hit a familiar ceiling, falling in the Eastern Conference final in two of the past three years and thrice in the current playoff streak. Now they'll try again to play their way back to that position, then take that final step. “They've all worked for 10 months to get to this point to have this opportunity," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. “We just want to put our best foot forward.” The first-round tussle, with Game 1 set for Saturday, pairs teams with very different recent histories. Going back to the 2020-21 season, Carolina is second among all NHL teams behind Colorado in points (632) and regulation wins (238). Meanwhile, the Senators ranked 20th with 484 points and 173 regulation wins in that span. They're back for a second straight postseason, with last year’s team losing a six-game first-round series to Toronto. Before that, Ottawa had languished through a seven-year postseason drought following a seven-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2017 Eastern Conference final. But the Senators won five of six to secure a wild-card spot, a run that began with a 6-3 home win against the Hurricanes. They clinched their trip with a 3-0 win against the New York Islanders on April 11, followed by Detroit's regulation home loss to later that day. “Last year, we were playing good hockey at this time of the year, too," Ottawa center said. "We’re not shooting ourselves in the foot. We just have confidence in how we’re playing and that we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.”
Q&A
What is the schedule for the Hurricanes vs. Senators playoff series?
The series starts with Game 1 on Saturday, followed by Game 2 on Monday, Game 3 next Thursday, and Game 4 on April 25.
How many playoff appearances have the Carolina Hurricanes made?
The Carolina Hurricanes are making their eighth consecutive playoff appearance this season.
What are the recent playoff histories of the Hurricanes and Senators?
The Hurricanes have reached the Eastern Conference final twice in the past three years, while the Senators are back for their second consecutive postseason after a seven-year drought.
Who are key players to watch in the Hurricanes vs. Senators series?
Key players include Carolina's goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi, and Ottawa's Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk.
