Canes Played 'The Way We Have To Play' In Game 1 Shutout

RALEIGH, N.C. - Taking care of business to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday afternoon, the Carolina Hurricanes were rewarded with a day off from the ice on Sunday.

After meeting as a unit and reflecting on their Game 1 performance, Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour sounded pleased with the inaugural contest of the 2026 postseason run.

"It was a good game. It was the way we have to play, and it was just good enough," Brind'Amour said as he met with reporters at Lenovo Center. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for what we're playing against and how they play. We're doing everything we can to limit what we're giving up."

Limiting chances is the bread and butter of Hurricanes' hockey, which led them to 53 regular-season wins and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Holding the Ottawa Senators to single-digit shots in both of the first two periods, the third period was then a shining example of what Frederik Andersen is capable of.

Posting his 47th career playoff win, the 36-year-old guided his group through some tense moments on the penalty kill, with some help from a few of his teammates putting their bodies in the line of fire.

"The blocked shots are huge this time of year. There's breakdowns," Andersen said understandingly following yesterday's final horn. "There's never a perfect game, but we know when to sell out and help each other out. I think that's huge."

Just one of many ways a body gets bumps and bruises this time of year, the Canes also rose to the occasion in the department of physicality, laying 57 hits — an increase of more than 20 from their regular-season single-game high (35; 12/23 vs. FLA).

"It's playoff hockey," Brind'Amour seemed to appreciate. "The first round, everybody's got all the energy in the world. That's kind of what you expect."

As impressive as some of the hits were in the contest, the physical tone was set right at the opening puck drop.

Leading By Example...

Jordan Staal is listed at 6-foot-4, 220 lbs. He has been for many years. Maybe that's true, maybe it's one of those things that isn't updated for one reason or another.

Regardless of his actual measurements, it's a large stature. Stand next to him, and he's probably even bigger than you'd expect. But that doesn't mean he's a bully of the game, and he doesn't roam around dropping the gloves often.

In fact, before yesterday, he'd done so just once in the last nine years. That was in November, after Tyler Pitlick of the Minnesota Wild laid a suspect hit on Jalen Chatfield that knocked the defenseman out of the lineup for a while.

Before that scrap? You'd have to turn the page back to 2017 for Staal's last fighting major, and that time, it was to stand up for Sebastian Aho, who was on the wrong end of a questionable cross-check in Dallas.

So when the captain voluntarily lost the opening faceoff yesterday and pushed forward as his gloves hit the ice, the whole bench, and seemingly the 18,000+ in attendance, were up on their feet in shock.

"I kind of saw a few of the guys chatting right off the draw. I can't remember who was on the far side, but they weren't really lined up for the puck drop, so I thought something was happening," Logan Stankoven explained from his perspective. "Sure enough. It was a great way to get the crowd into it, and I thought Jordo did a great job."

From the Tkachuk side of things, it wasn't surprising. Anyone who watched the Four Nations Face-Off last February knows of the Senators' captain's willingness to dance.

But for Staal to accept the request and hold his own felt like a message that went a long way.

“When he asks you to, you kind of expect it," Staal said with some level of excitement as he spoke to the ESPN broadcast during the first intermission. [Tkachuk’s] a physical player who is ready to roll, and so am I. And so is this group. It’s part of the gig, and we’re not backing down from anyone. We’re ready to roll.”

"We're not backing down from anyone," coupled with Stankoven's comment that the team "learned a few lessons from last year," were clear statements from the locker room.

With Nic Deslauriers eagerly licking his chops in the press box, the Canes' captain set the precedent that he and his team won't be pushed around, even if "D-Lo" isn't in the lineup.

FredEx Delivers...

If Staal had the must-see moment of Game 1, Frederik Andersen was the story of the game as a whole.

Calm, cool, and collected throughout, the veteran backstop silenced any doubters about being the team's starter to begin their postseason.

Understandably, the team could have gone either way between him and Brandon Bussi, who had a superb first regular season in the league. But Brind'Amour and staff went with the guy who had been here before, and it paid off.

"A little experience never hurts," the head coach told reporters when reasoning his decision, pre-game. "We have confidence in both guys."

Yesterday was certainly a confidence boost, highlighted by the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Dane converting a would-have-been Ottawa goal and potential turning point in the contest into a save that will be remembered for the duration of the series.

"I had a pretty good idea [I had it in my glove]," Andersen answered when asked if he knew he'd kept it out. "I had a good feeling that my glove wasn't really across the goal line. [I] felt like I got a good piece of it and obviously the cameras agreed."

In the room, Taylor Hall had a glowing review of Andersen's play after taking the series' first lead.

"It gives us energy. It gives us a win, really," the experienced winger answered. "We don’t want to have him tested as much as he was. Their power play started to figure us out by the end of the game, but he was there. If you look at his games at the end of the regular season, he was really trending in the right direction. He’s a guy that, at least I saw last year, when the lights are brightest, he’s going to stand tall.”

Mr. Game 1...

Déjà vu?

Almost one year ago to the day, Logan Stankoven stamped his first playoff game as a Hurricane with two goals in a 5-1 romp past the New Jersey Devils. This time around, he just about replicated it, striking for the game-opener, and then having a second shot hit Taylor Hall's skate on the way in.

One of Carolina's seven 20-goal scorers during the regular season, the blossoming center humbly said it was "right place, right time," but also understands his need to contribute this time of year.

"I think [we] just provide some secondary scoring for our team," Stankoven said. "I think we have a lot of depth. I think as the season's went on, since the [Winter Olympics] break, our line's been clicking pretty good. We're all hungry to track pucks, we're not afraid to go to the net, and we can use speed to our advantage. I think that's something we try and bring every night."

With both Hall and Stankoven out-chancing their opposition 19-5 at five-on-five (per NaturalStatTrick), it was exactly what the doctor ordered from the duo and Jackson Blake, as Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal did their best to keep Ottawa's top dogs at bay.

“Stank’s been great. He’s been growing an amazing game this season. He’s been getting hot lately, which is always great timing," Staal complimented. "That line, in general, has been unreal. We’re going to need scoring from everyone if we want to keep pushing down the playoffs."

For those with concerns about the line having the necessary size? Look at where yesterday's second goal was scored and try to convince someone that they don't go to the net.

"I wouldn’t doubt them, ever," Staal continued. "They’ve been so good, so tenacious, and so good with the puck, or getting pucks back. All of those things. They’ve been really good.”

What's Next?

The Canes return to action for Game 2 of the series on Monday. They'll hold a morning skate at 10:30 a.m. to start the day.

Rod Brind'Amour confirmed his team made it out of the first bout with a clean bill of health, so any lineup changes, as far as the skaters go, would be nothing short of shocking. In net, there's always a possibility to keep the rotation going, but with Andersen's exceptional Game 1 performance, nobody would argue if he gets the nod again.

However, even if the decision is to run it back in both areas, the head coach agreed that there are things the team can execute better in the next go-around.

"There's a lot we're going to need to improve on," the head coach said. "You're always getting better, whether you win a game or lose a game. You constantly have to find that next little edge."

Next Game: Monday, April 20 | Round 1, Game 2 vs. Ottawa | 7:30 p.m. | FDSN, ESPN2 | Tickets | Parking