NHL · Season 2025
Stankoven's PPG and a brace of empty-netters from Aho seal a 4-2 win as Carolina sweeps Ottawa to clinch the East first-round series.
Match Videos
Player Ratings
1.0 – 10.0Logan Stankoven
Game-winning power-play goal, fourth-straight game with a goal in the series
Sebastian Aho
Two empty-net goals in the final 2:22 to put the series away
Frederik Andersen
25 saves; Brind'Amour called it 'probably the best hockey he's played for us'
Drake Batherson
Second-period power-play tying goal plus an assist on Cozens' late goal
Match Analysis
AI SummaryStankoven seals it as Hurricanes sweep Senators 4-0
The Carolina Hurricanes completed a first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators with a 4-2 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday. Logan Stankoven scored his fourth goal in four games — a third-period power-play tally — and Sebastian Aho added two empty-netters as the East's top seed advanced.
Hurricanes 4, Senators 2 | Periods: 0-0, 1-1, 1-3 | Goalies: Andersen (CAR) 25 saves, Ullmark (OTT) 26 saves | Series: CAR wins 4-0
Scoreless first sets a physical tone
Five penalties in the first period — including matching infractions on Brent Tkachuk and Sebastian Aho's brother that emptied the benches briefly — produced no goals. Andersen and Ullmark traded saves, and Carolina's structure suffocated Ottawa's transition rush.
Hall opens, Batherson answers on the power play
Taylor Hall broke the deadlock at 15:15 of the second period, finishing a Mark Jankowski feed from the left hash marks. Ottawa pushed back at 17 with Drake Batherson burying a power-play one-timer set up by Tim Stützle and Carter Yakemchuk to make it 1-1.
Stankoven seals it on the man advantage
Carolina capitalized at 9:10 of the third when K'Andre Miller's right-point shot caromed off the end boards to Stankoven at the left post. The 22-year-old finished from a sharp angle for his fourth goal of the series, putting Carolina up 2-1. "I think tonight was a good challenge for us," Stankoven said. "Just be there for each other."
Aho's empty-net brace closes the door
With Ullmark pulled, Aho fired into the empty net from his own end at 17:38. Cozens pulled one back at 18:09 off a Batherson-Giroux setup, but Aho found the empty cage again at 18:45 to make it 4-2 and end Ottawa's season. "We executed really well," Aho said. "We gave them no room."
Why it matters
Brind'Amour praised his veteran goalie: "Can't understate it. It's probably the best hockey he's played for us." Carolina's structure held all four games — they never trailed in the series. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk summed up the locker room: "It's heartbreaking. Give credit to them. They're a great team." Ottawa exits with a 1-for-21 power-play stat that defined the series. The Hurricanes wait, fully rested, for the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia winner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of Senators vs Hurricanes on April 25, 2026?
Carolina won 4-2 to sweep Ottawa 4-0 in the Eastern Conference First Round.
Who scored for Carolina?
Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven (PPG) and Sebastian Aho (twice into the empty net).
Who advances to the second round?
The Carolina Hurricanes, the East's top seed; they will face the winner of Pittsburgh-Philadelphia.
Who were the goaltenders?
Linus Ullmark started for Ottawa; Frederik Andersen made 25 saves for Carolina.
How did Ottawa's power play perform in the series?
Senators went 1-for-21 on the man-advantage across the four games — among the worst in recent playoff memory.
Where was Game 4 played?
Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
Match Summary
Carolina Hurricanes defeated Ottawa Senators 4:2. The match was played in NHL 2025. Score by period: P1: 0–0, P2: 1–1, P3: 1–3.
Match Context
Eastern Conference First Round, Game 4
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, best-of-seven first round
Pre-Match Analysis
Ottawa Senators Form
Senators dropped three straight; their power play was 1-for-21 entering Game 4
Carolina Hurricanes Form
Hurricanes, the East's top seed, never trailed in the series
Head to Head
Fourth meeting of the series — Carolina had won the previous three
Match Report
A scoreless first period featured plenty of penalties but no breakthrough. Taylor Hall opened the scoring at 15:15 of the second on a Mark Jankowski-Eric Robinson feed. Drake Batherson answered on the power play at 17 of the second, set up by Tim Stützle and Carter Yakemchuk. Logan Stankoven scored what became the winner at 9:10 of the third on the man-advantage — a K'Andre Miller shot from the right point banked off the end boards to Stankoven, who finished from a sharp angle for his fourth goal of the series. Sebastian Aho hit the empty net at 17:38, Dylan Cozens replied at 18:09 from a Batherson-Giroux feed, but Aho added a second empty-netter at 18:45 to make it 4-2.
Turning Point
Stankoven's third-period power-play strike — his fourth goal in four games — sealed the result and exposed Ottawa's series-long power-play struggles (1-for-21).
Carolina sweeps the Senators 4-0 and advances to face the winner of Pittsburgh-Philadelphia. For the East's top seed, it's a clean exit with the bench full of rest. For Ottawa, it's a painful end after never leading the series.
Ottawa Senators vs Carolina Hurricanes Head to Head Results
50 stretnutíRecent Meetings
API data: 14 May 2026