Martinook's Moment, Canes' Resilience Spark Chaotic Game 2 Victory

RALEIGH, N.C. - On more than one occasion, both the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators certainly thought Game 2 was wrapped up in their favor.

Between the Senators' shots that found iron and the Hurricanes' would-be winner that was cancelled out upon review, chance after chance at either end could have ended Monday's contest well before it began approaching Tuesday.

An emotional roller coaster until the finish line, it was Jordan Martinook's moment of redemption that ultimately sent the Lenovo Center faithful home happy at 11:41 p.m. ET — nearly four hours after the first puck drop — and brought his team halfway to advancing to Round 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Third Time's The Charm...

Expectedly, it was elation inside Lenovo Center when Mark Jankowski put home Seth Jarvis' rebound with 2:42 remaining in the first overtime. The bench emptied, joining the six skaters on the ice to celebrate for a moment of joy.

A release of tension after coming back from their squandered two-goal lead, the bliss was, unfortunately, short-lived. As is the case with any team conceding a goal in overtime, players and staff on the potential losing side immediately huddled around the monitors to look for any potential evidence indicating it was an illegal play.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, all goals scored beyond regulation are reviewed by the NHL's Situation Room in Toronto. 3:59 of real-time elapsed between Jankowski's putback and referee Furman South announcing that the playoff was offside, but to those with vested interest in the result, it felt like an eternity.

Amid the nearly four minutes, Martinook was alerted that if the goal wouldn't count, he would still be taking a penalty shot because he'd been hooked by Warren Foegele following the initial zone entry — the initial reasoning for the delayed penalty and Jankowski being on the ice in the first place.

While Martinook may not be an early choice in shootouts during the regular season (two attempts in 37 career shootout games), a penalty shot in overtime was actually a position he'd been in before. Converting during the 2023 postseason in New Jersey, the veteran tried to channel the same execution as then, only to be on the wrong end of yet another one of Linus Ullmark's great saves from the night.

“I didn’t feel very good about myself after that penalty shot, and that intermission felt very long," Martinook candidly admitted post-game.

But poetically enough, it wasn't the last opportunity the hockey gods would afford the Canes' alternate captain that night. Just over six minutes before a third overtime was necessary, a shuffle to the slot from Nikolaj Ehlers put the puck on Martinook's tape, and sent the Raleigh crowd into jubilation, this time ending their night for sure.

“I’d be lying if I said I picked my head up and looked and picked the corner. At that point, you’re just trying to put as many pucks on (net) that you can," Martinook explained. "I felt like we kind of had them on the run a little bit. Fly made a great play to the middle, and I just ripped it. Luckily, it went in.”

Been Here Before...

There's a certain element of perseverance required to go through the roller coaster of that game without caving in.

Much like when one team has had all the penalties called against them in a contest, the law of averages often indicates that the other side is bound to be dinged for one eventually.

They also say hockey is a game of bounces, and make no mistake, the Canes got theirs last night. The posts behind Frederik Andersen are owed a great deal of thanks.

Yet, when Jankowski's goal was disallowed, Martinook's penalty shot did not fall, and Ottawa continued surging forward, there was no wavering in belief. The group stuck with their game plan and were ultimately rewarded.

"It’s not getting squirrely. It’s just staying with the grind and believing in what we’re doing and trusting the process," captain Jordan Staal reasoned. "Guys did that tonight, and it paid off. Sometimes it doesn’t, but tonight it did.”

Part of their ability to do so is rooted in lessons learned over their previous seven postseason runs. While not every player on the current roster has been here for all seven, Martinook is one of the four who have been, and seeing him earn his redemption and emerge as the hero meant a lot to his head coach.

“We’ve been through a lot, obviously. This is just another thing to add," Rod Brind'Amour said, post-game. "We make it exciting, that’s for sure. We’ve got a lot to look back on and say, ‘Wow.’ That was another one of those games. I’m just happy for Marty. He’s been one of those guys [who has been here for a while]. It’s nice to see him get that recognition for a game like that.”

What's Next?

If "Carolina now heads on the road with a 2-0 series lead" feels familiar, it's not just you. Entering the 2026 postseason, the Canes were one of just four teams in NHL history to own a 2-0 lead in their first best-of-seven battle across five consecutive postseasons.

Now? They're the only team that's done it in six straight years, another example of the kind of consistency that's been unique to Carolina under Rod Brind'Amour.

The flipside, of course, is that two wins only get you part of the way to the next leg of the journey. It'll take two more for the Hurricanes to extend their streak of winning at least one playoff round to eight straight campaigns, and a stiff test awaits north of the border on Thursday.

Next Game: Thursday, April 23 | Round 1, Game 3 at Ottawa | 7:30 p.m. | How To Watch

Next Home Game: Monday, April 27 | Round 1, Game 5 vs. Ottawa (if necessary) | Time TBD | How To Watch | Tickets | Parking