Senators eliminated in Eastern 1st Round, power play among factors

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday, the fourth time they were swept in a best-of-7 series since joining the NHL for the 1992-93 season.

The Senators (44-27-11) were the second wild card from the East, the first time they reached the playoffs in consecutive years since 2011-12 and 2012-13.

The skinny:

Potential unrestricted free agents: Nick Cousins, F; Lars Eller, F; Claude Giroux, F; Dennis Gilbert, D; Nick Jensen, D; James Reimer, G

Potential restricted free agents: Stephen Halliday, F; Jordan Spence, D; Leevi Merilainen, G

Potential 2026 Draft picks: 7

Here are five reasons why the Senators were eliminated:

1. Power outage

Ottawa was 1-for-21 on the man-advantage while missing key chances to score first, tie games or take a lead. It had four 5-on-3 opportunities in the series, including three in Game 4, and failed to capitalize on any of them.

In Game 3, the Senators went 0-for-5 on the power play and managed just four shots. The most critical 5-on-3 came in the second period while trailing 1-0 with 1:28 of advantage time. The result was one shot on goal.

In Game 4, they had nine power-play opportunities. Although Drake Batherson finally scored to tie the game 1-1 at 17:08 of the second, finishing 1-for-9 (11.1 percent) on the night was not enough to swing momentum. Even though Carolina's power play wasn't much better (13.3 percent), special teams still became one of the biggest difference-makers in the series.

2. Blue line woes

Ottawa couldn't seem to catch a break this season when it came to injuries on defense, and the postseason was no different.

It started in Game 1 when Artem Zub sustained an undisclosed injury early in the second of a 2-0 loss after checking Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis. The injury kept Zub out for the rest of the series.

Jake Sanderson sustained a concussion in Game 3 after getting hit in the head by Taylor Hall, leaving the Senators to deal with losing their top defenseman for the second time this season.

Thomas Chabot was playing while his fractured arm was still healing. Tyler Kleven returned for the final two games with a protective bubble over his fractured jaw.

As Senators coach Travis Green said after being eliminated, the "what-ifs" of what could have been with a full complement of healthy defensemen will stick during the offseason.

3. Chasing the game

It's hard to win when you're always the one chasing and never have a lead of your own to protect.

The Hurricanes became the 20th team in NHL history to never trail in a game during a best-of-7 series and first since the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Second Round against the Winnipeg Jets. It was also the first time the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers achieved the feat.

Though the Senators were 28-6-6 in the regular season when scoring first, that opportunity was taken away in the opening three games by the same culprit, Logan Stankoven.

In Game 4, Hall once again put them into chase mode when he scored at 15:15 of the second. The Senators pushed the message that they had to stick to their game to defeat the Hurricanes, but falling behind each time might have forced them away from that. 

4. Stars without stats

Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Giroux and Chabot were each held without a point over the four games, and Tim Stutzle had just one assist. In a low-scoring series where every goal mattered, getting all five goals from just two players, Batherson (three) and Dylan Cozens (two), wasn't enough.

5. Inches away

Ottawa was not without its close chances, but whether it was the hockey gods, bad luck, or simply an inability to finish on their opportunities, so many near misses just didn't go its way. The Senators hit five posts and crossbars in Game 2 alone. A different bounce here and there, and the series might have looked very different.

Credit must go to Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen, who had a .955 save percentage and was often in the right spot at the right time. There was also just not a lot of room. The Hurricanes are a strong shutdown team, and they made it difficult for the Senators to generate consistent offense through the middle of the ice. Against a team like Carolina, chances are limited, and the ones you do get have to count.