Recap: Andersen, Canes Shut Down Sens In Game 1

RALEIGH, N.C. - Frederik Andersen turned aside all 22 shots that came his way as the Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0 in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series.

GAME SUMMARY | BOX SCORE | BUY PLAYOFF TICKETS | PLAYOFF HUB

It took just three seconds for the first must-see moment of the postseason, as Canes captain Jordan Staal and Sens captain Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves immediately after puck drop. Physicality dominated the remainder of the opening frame, but neither team managed to light the lamp amid the fireworks.

Just on the other side of the break, though, Logan Stankoven broke through to give the Canes a 1-0 lead, sneaking a shot through Linus Ullmark after Jackson Blake put it on a tee.

Stankoven's strike stood alone on the scoreboard for another 25 minutes, even as Ottawa appeared to tie the game early in the third on a play that turned out to be one of several Andersen robberies on the night. A few minutes after the would-be equalizer was overturned upon review for not completely crossing the goal line, Taylor Hall doubled the Hurricanes' advantage as the last to touch the puck in a goal-mouth scramble behind Ullmark.

Carolina weathered the Sens' storm from there as the visitors fired more shots on net in the final frame (13) than they did in the first two combined (9). A late 6-on-4 provided a last gasp for Ottawa, but Andersen and a committed crew of shot-blockers in front of him kept the Senators off the scoresheet.

Stats & Standouts

• Logan Stankoven logged his third career playoff game-winning goal, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach that number before turning 24 years old.
• Stankoven also became the third player in franchise history with three career goals in postseason-opening games, following Andrei Svechnikov (5) and Dean Evason (3).
• Jackson Blake set up both Carolina goals for his second career multi-point playoff performance and joined Stankoven to make up the sixth 23-and-under duo in team history (since relocation) to record two or more points in the same playoff game.
• Frederik Andersen notched his sixth career playoff shutout, tied for the sixth-most in NHL history by a goaltender born outside North America. Those ahead of him: Dominik Hasek (14), Henrik Lundqvist (10), Evgeni Nabokov (7), Tuukka Rask (7) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (7).
• Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin and Jordan Martinook officially appeared in their eighth postseason with the Hurricanes, tying Ron Francis for the most career years in the playoffs in franchise history.
• Carolina improved to 7-0 in its last seven postseason-opening contests dating to Game 1 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The Canes are just the fifth team in NHL history with a run of that length, following the Canadiens (12-0 from 1951 – 1962), Islanders (10-0 from 1975 – 1984), Sharks (8-0 from 2011 – 2019) and Blues (7-0 from 1995 – 2001).

They Said It...

Rod Brind’Amour following the victory…

“Everybody out there was giving it all they had. That’s what you saw. (There) was not a lot of room and everybody was fighting for everything."

Taylor Hall giving his thoughts on Game 1…

“We played hard. They played hard. I think both teams have a lot to be proud of tonight with that effort. The first game of the playoffs is always fast and physical, and there’s not a lot of time out there. That was the case tonight.”

Rod Brind’Amour giving his thoughts on his Captain dropping the gloves on the opening puck drop…

“He never ceases to keep impressing. He was obviously great tonight, as well. It’s pretty much every night. When does he not do his thing? Give him a lot of credit.”

Jordan Staal on his game-opening fight during the first intermission on ESPN…

“When he asks you to, you kind of expect it. [He’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.”

Frederik Andersen praising Jordan Staal…

“Look at every single game. He does it one way, every time, and that’s the right way. He’s very in tune with the way he’s being asked to play, and I think he executed that on a nightly basis… You guys that are here all year see it, in and out, and the way he comes ready to go every single night.”

Rod Brind’Amour on not giving up a lot to Ottawa…

“We were on our game. They were too, they played really well. It felt like most of their opportunities were on their power plays. The goalies really had to shine. Both goalies played great. The turning point is the save on the penalty kill from Freddie. I mean, that’s a game-changer…”

Taylor Hall describing Frederik Andersen’s night…

“It gives us energy. It gives us a win, really. 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.”

Frederik Andersen on the energy inside Lenovo Center…

"It's pretty mind-blowing how loud it gets and how fun it is to play here. You saw it right away with the fight. The whole night, they were on their feet and very loud. It's the best time of the year."

What's Next?

The Canes are scheduled to practice on Sunday and will return to action for Game 2 of the series on Monday.

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