The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff bracket is finally set. Following the end of the regular season last night. The NHL has released the full schedule for the first-round matchups, which include the much-anticipated first-round series between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes.
As the second wild card team, the Senators will open the series on the road in Raleigh, North Carolina, before heading back to the Canadian Tire Centre for playoff hockey in Ottawa for the second straight year for the first time since 2012-13.
Senators vs. Hurricanes First Round Schedule
Game | Date | Time (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | April 18 | 3:00 p.m. | Lenovo Center |
Game 2 | April 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Lenovo Center |
Game 3 | April 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Canadian Tire Centre |
Game 4 | April 25 | 3:00 p.m. | Canadian Tire Centre |
Game 5 (If needed) | April 28 | TBD | Lenovo Center |
Game 6 (If needed) | April 30 | TBD | Canadian Tire Centre |
Game 7 (If needed) | May 2 | TBD | Lenovo Center |
Series Outlook
The Senators are going in as major underdogs against a Carolina Hurricanes team that finished first in the Eastern Conference with 113 points. That said, Ottawa has been one of the hottest teams in the league over the last month and a half, winning six of their eight games in the month of April. Their last meeting against the Hurricanes was a 6-3 win on April 5, which is a reminder they can hang in this matchup.
In terms of game times, it’s worth noting the afternoon starts for Game 1 and Game 4. Those always feel a bit different compared to the usual 7:00 PM games.
With Linus Ullmark expected to carry a big part of the load and the roster starting to get healthier at the right time, that “pesky” identity people have talked about in the past kind of fits again here. Which shows just how much credit head coach Travis Green deserves for getting this team to play similar to past iterations of the club. Versions that he would have played against as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the early 2000s.
Tickets for Games 3 and 4 at the Canadian Tire Centre are expected to go quickly as the city gets ready for another unreal atmosphere in the playoffs.
Senators playoff hockey is back in just 24 hours!
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