3 Things to Watch: Senators at Hurricanes, Game 1 of Eastern Conference 1st Round

(W2) Senators at (M1) Hurricanes

Eastern Conference First Round, Game 1

3 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, ESPN, SN, TVAS

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites in this best-of-7 Eastern Conference series against the Ottawa Senators, which begins with Game 1 at Lenovo Center on Saturday.

But that means next to nothing when the first puck is fired in anger. Then, it all becomes a blank slate and the team who plays to its identity will be the team who dictates the terms.

“It’s going to take a lot, I mean, it’s the best team in the East,” Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot said. “We know we’re in the underdog position; we know where we’re at, but I have a lot of belief in our group.

“This is going to be a hard-fought series; it’s going to be tight every night, I expect. And you know what, (Carolina is) a tough building to play in. That building brings a lot of energy even in the season. Until the first TV timeout, that’s a team that comes real hard.”

Ottawa and Carolina are similar in style. Each wants to possess the puck. Each is a shot-volume team. Each wants to keep the opposition hemmed in and tire under the duress of a cycle.

“It comes down to us,” Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield said. “I think it is the way we want to play and executing our game style and playing for each other and playing a full 60 because we know how these games are. These are tight games, checking games and it is just executing what we have to do out there.”

Each team is healthy at the start of the series and has game-planned against the other since this matchup was determined with the results of the games on Tuesday.

Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-7 series are 535-252 (.680) in Stanley Cup Playoffs history, including 10-5 (.667) last season. Six of the eight first-round series winners last season won Game 1.

Here are 3 things to watch in Game 1:

1. Who’s the goalie for Carolina?

Hurricanes coach Rod Brid’Amour again refused to tip his hand on who will start Saturday, veteran Frederik Andersen or first-year phenom Brandon Bussi. Signs, however, point to Andersen, who has manned the starter’s crease each of the past two days at practice. Bussi split time with Pyotr Kochetkov, who is working his way back from an injury at the other end. Bussi has never played an NHL postseason game. Andersen has played in 85 NHL postseason games with a .914 save percentage. He was 8-5 with a .907 save percentage in last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. Linus Ullmark will start for Ottawa. He is 5-1-0 in his past six starts with a .927 save percentage and one shutout. “Am I confident? Very,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said. “I've said it countless times in this room, got a lot of belief in our goaltending. They were going through a hard stretch. That hasn't changed, nor should have.”

2. Isn’t that special?

For two teams that are so even, special teams could be a huge difference. Since May 1, the Hurricanes have been red-hot on the power play with a 33.9 conversion rate, second in the League. During that same span, Ottawa is 22.2. On the penalty kill, Ottawa has been better of late and has an 82.8 rate since March 1, compared to 80.9 for the Hurricanes. With each team prone to play a heavy, emotionally engaged game, the temperature could rise quickly. “I think for us this year, we have to be disciplined, stay out of the box,” Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “I think that has hurt us in years past. Making sure special teams are dialed in all aspects.”

3. Face-off face off

Possession of the puck will be paramount in this series. It is the foundation of each team’s game. So, face-offs will be a focal point. It is a strength for Ottawa, which won 53.7 percent of its draw during the season, compared to 48.9 for the Hurricanes. Said Brind’Amour: “(The Senators) do a great job. You have to give them credit filling that void, that hole. That’s an important aspect of the game and they covered it. Starting with the puck is a big deal and it is a big part of the game.”

Senators projected lineup

Drake Batherson -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux 

Brady Tkachuk -- Dylan Cozens -- Ridley Greig

Nick Cousins -- Shane Pinto -- Mike Amadio

Warren Foegele -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot -- Jordan Spence

Dennis Gilbert -- Nikolas Matinpalo

Linus Ullmark

James Reimer

Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Stephen Halliday, Hayden Hodgson, Cameron Crotty, Lassi Thomson

Injured: Tyler Kleven (upper body)

Hurricanes projected lineup

Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall -- Logan Stankoven -- Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Jordan Staal -- Jordan Martinook

William Carrier -- Mark Jankowski -- Eric Robinson

Jaccob Slavin -- Jalen Chatfield

K’Andre Miller -- Sean Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere -- Alexander Nikishin

Frederik Andersen

Brandon Bussi

Scratched: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mike Reilly, Pyotr Kochetkov

Injured: None

Status report

Kleven, a defenseman, practiced in a non-contact jersey Friday. … Crotty, a defenseman, did not practice. … Stankoven was back on the ice Friday after missing practice Thursday.