Carolina strikes first: Senators fall 2-0 in Game 1 and lose Artem Zub to injury

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (left) celebrates with teammate Logan Stankoven following their team's 2-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Lenovo Center on April 18, 2026 in Raleigh, N.C. Photo by Jared C. Tilton /Getty Images

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HURRICANES 2, SENATORS 0

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Carolina leads best-of-seven 1-0

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The Ottawa Senators failed to weather the storm in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.

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To make matters worse, their battered blueline took another hit.

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Not only were the Senators beaten by a better team in a 2-0 loss to open their best-of-seven playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but Ottawa also finished the game without defenceman Artem Zub.

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Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen made 22 stops for the win, while Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark allowed two goals on 29 shots and kept his club in the game.

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Zub, who plays a lot of big minutes, left the game early in the second period after a hit on Carolina’s Seth Jarvis. The Senators have had to battle blueline injuries all season, but this is getting out of hand, and Zub appeared to be holding his hip area.

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Senators head coach Travis Green had no update on Zub’s condition during his post-game remarks to the media.

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“We’ll know more tomorrow,” said Green.

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The Senators are hoping to have Tyler Kleven back from a broken jaw soon; whether that will be Monday is to be determined. The club can dress Lassi Thomson if Kleven isn’t ready, but the Senators are also without veteran Nick Jensen, who is done for the season.

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“It’s tough. He’s my partner. He plays big minutes. I haven’t seen him yet, but I hope he’s okay,” defenceman Jake Sanderson said.

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Captain Brady Tkachuk and his Carolina counterpart Jordan Staal started the series by dropping the gloves off the opening faceoff, but in the end, it didn’t have the desired effect.

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Raleigh is a tough place for visiting teams. The Hurricanes are a tough opponent, and the building is raucous with towel-waving fans. The atmosphere can be intimidating, which is why the Senators are facing a difficult challenge.

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“They got two good bounces that ended up in the net. We didn’t get those bounces, but that’s what’s great about the playoffs, it’s a best-of-seven for a reason, and there is a lot we can learn to apply for Game 2,” Tkachuk said.

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In NHL history, the winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the series 68% of the time, so a win in Game 2 on Monday night would be key for the Senators before the series shifts to Ottawa.

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Controversial video call on Senators is costly

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The Senators made a push, especially on a late power play.

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Taylor Hall stretched Carolina’s lead to 2-0 at 7:11 of the third period by going to the net and pushing in a puck that Ullmark couldn’t find. That was difficult for the Senators to stomach because they had pushed hard to get back in the game.

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With 16:06 left in the third, the Senators were convinced they had scored the tying goal on a power play when Drake Batherson appeared to fire a shot that forced Andersen’s glove over the goal line.