Senators and Hurricanes Set for Tight Eastern Conference Playoff Clash

Carolina the favorite, but Ottawa believes it can pull off the upset in best-of-7 series opener

Apr. 17, 2026 at 10:05pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting an abstracted hockey game between the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes, with the players and ice broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color.The Senators and Hurricanes' contrasting playoff styles will collide in a tight, defensive series that could come down to which team imposes its identity.Today in Raleigh

The Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes are set to face off in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday in Raleigh. While the Hurricanes are the favorites, the Senators believe they have a chance to pull off the upset in what is expected to be a tightly contested series between two teams with similar puck possession and shot volume styles of play.

Why it matters

This series features a clash of contrasting playoff experience, with the veteran Hurricanes looking to make another deep postseason run, while the upstart Senators are seeking their first playoff series win in over a decade. The outcome could have major implications for the future of both franchises.

The details

Both teams are healthy heading into the series, having had time to game-plan against each other since their matchup was determined earlier this week. The Hurricanes will look to set the tone early, as teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-7 series have historically gone on to win the series over 65% of the time.

  • Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The players

Thomas Chabot

A defenseman for the Ottawa Senators who believes his team is the underdog but has faith in the group.

Jalen Chatfield

A defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes who says the team's focus is on executing their game plan for the full 60 minutes.

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What they’re saying

“It's going to take a lot, I mean, it's the best team in the East. We know we're in the underdog position; we know where we're at, but I have a lot of belief in our group.”

— Thomas Chabot, Senators Defenseman

“It comes down to us. I think it is the way we want to play and executing our game style and playing for each other and playing a full 60 because we know how these games are. These are tight games, checking games and it is just executing what we have to do out there.”

— Jalen Chatfield, Hurricanes Defenseman

What’s next

The winner of Game 1 will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead when the teams meet again on Monday, April 20, 2026 in Raleigh.

The takeaway

This first-round playoff series between the Senators and Hurricanes promises to be a tightly contested, hard-fought affair between two teams with similar styles of play. While Carolina enters as the favorite, Ottawa believes it has the talent to pull off the upset and advance to the next round.