For a second straight season, the Ottawa Senators have opened the Stanley Cup Playoffs with three straight losses. They fell 2–1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, and now trail their first-round best-of-seven series three games to none.

Jackson Blake scored late in the second period to give Carolina a slim 2–1 advantage, but it somehow felt insurmountable on this night—much like a 5–1 game.

Blake scored just 1:23 after Drake Batherson had tied the game at one on a slick feed from Nick Cousins. That goal sent the Canadian Tire Centre crowd into a frenzy and should have given the Senators momentum heading into the second intermission.

But Blake’s goal absolutely sucked the life out of the building.

K’Andre Miller was left wide open at the left point and walked right in. Logan Stankoven drove hard to the net, knocking over Thomas Chabot, which left Blake all the time he needed to corral a cross-ice pass from Miller and bury it into the open net.

Stankoven had the other Canes' goal and now has three in as many games.

Taylor Hall helped set up both of Carolina’s goals, but his most damaging blow to the Senators was his direct headshot on defenceman Jake Sanderson. Sanderson tried to stay in the game but eventually left and did not return. Hall dropped a shoulder into Sanderson, making primary contact with the side of his head and creating the kind of rotational force that can often leads to more severe concussion symptoms.

In all likelihood, had Sanderson stayed down the way Jordan Martinook did later in the game after a collision with Brady Tkachuk, it might have led to a review and a major penalty for Hall.

Senators head coach Travis Green said he’d be shocked if the league doesn’t take further action.

“I just don’t understand how there’s not a five-minute major called on the hit to the head,” Green said. “It’s a blatant hit to the head. It’s the kind of hit you don’t want to see. I think it’s ridiculous there wasn’t a review. They call a review on Brady on a penalty that… I don’t even know what the penalty was.”

In reality, even if Hall had been assessed a more severe penalty, the Senators’ power play likely wouldn’t have capitalized. In the second period, Ottawa had five power-play chances, including a 5-on-3 for 1:28, and came away with nothing.

While it’s tempting for Senators fans to rip the team apart right now, it should also be noted that the Hurricanes are playing a different level of hockey. The Senators entered these playoffs likely prepared for a team like the 2024–25 Toronto Maple Leafs, but the 2026 Carolina Hurricanes are a different animal, playing an elevated, frustrating style of postseason hockey that Ottawa just hasn’t been able to match, despite its best efforts.

The Senators will try to avoid a four-game sweep on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.