Storm warning! Senators will face Carolina Hurricanes in first round of playoffs

The Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens has his shot blocked by Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi with Jordan Staal nearby during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Photo by Karl DeBlaker /The Associated Press

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The Ottawa Senators will open Round 1 of the playoffs on Tobacco Road.

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The matchup, which will likely start Saturday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, was settled on Tuesday night after the Boston Bruins beat the New Jersey Devils. The schedule was expected to be settled on Wednesday, but Game 2 will be play Monday night in Raleigh.

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The expectation is Game 3 will be on Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre and Game 4 will be on Saturday in Ottawa.

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It’s the first time in franchise history the Senators will face Carolina in the post-season and it should be a good series.

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The Senators are locked into the second wildcard spot in the East, and the Hurricanes are the top seed in the conference. This is the eighth straight year that Carolina has made the playoffs, and it hasn’t lost in the first round since 1998-99.

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“They’re a team that’s been in the playoffs for a lot of years, and they’ve had a lot of success,” Ottawa winger Drake Batherson said about the Hurricanes. “They’re a team that is really fast. They don’t give you much. They’re in your face, and they’re similar to us.

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“I like how we match up against them. No matter who we play, we’re looking forward to it.”

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Captain Brady Tkachuk stated on the Wingmen Podcast, which he does with his brother, Matthew, of the Florida Panthers, that the Hurricanes are a team the Senators try to “emulate”.

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Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour is one of the NHL’s top bench bosses, and his club is relentless defensively. That’s why Green has borrowed from his playbook this season — especially in the final 30 games — to try to get his club to play well at both ends of the ice.

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“That’s a tough matchup. They all are at this time of year,” said Brind’Amour on Tuesday night. “That’s one of the better teams in the NHL. They had a tough start to their season, and some interesting things goiing on, but they’ve got it covered top-to-bottom.

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“It’s going to be a huge challenge.”

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Ottawa Senator Thomas Chabot takes a shot during Senators practice at the Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Can’t pick your opponent

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The Senators, before they knew they would take on Carolina, weren’t focusing on who they might play in Round 1.

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“I couldn’t have more confidence in the group that we have,” alternate captain Thomas Chabot said Tuesday. “Whoever we’re going to face, it’s going to be a hell of a team that has 110 points or whatever. It’s going to be a good team, and we’re ready for that.

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“We’re going to be the underdog, whoever we face, and we’re looking forward to that role.”

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The Senators were 1-2-0 against the Hurricanes this season. Ottawa scored a massive 6-3 victory over Carolina at home on April 6. The Senators dropped a 4-3 decision to the Canes on Feb. 3 in Raleigh and suffered a 4-1 loss at home on Jan. 24.

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Batherson said you can’t pick your opponent, so why worry about it?

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“If you don’t play a contending team in the first round, you might have to face them in another round, if you’re going to win the Cup,” Batherson said. “No matter who we play, it’s going to be a tough series.”