The Eastern Conference matchups are set; the Ottawa Senators are officially taking on the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
With a Boston Bruins 4-0 win last night against the New Jersey Devils, it locked them into the top wild card spot and locked the Senators into the second spot. Which means their first-round opponent is going to be potentially the most difficult.
The Hurricanes are the best team in the East and get home-ice advantage throughout the first three rounds. So, the Senators will start on the road, with their first game expected to be played on Saturday.
On paper, this looks like a series that the Hurricanes will win. However, Ottawa has proven to be tough to play against. They are relentless, physical, and have a ton of belief in each other. That is the biggest thing; they believe that they can beat anyone as long as they play their game. And, in all honesty, if they steal a game on the road in the first two, they have a good chance of winning their home games in front of a very fun and wild crowd at the Canadian Tire Centre.
With the series expected to start Saturday, that would likely mean that they'd get an afternoon matinee or a prime-time spot. At this time, there haven't been game times or dates released. But what we do know is this is the first time that these two teams have met in the playoffs, and it is going to be one heck of a series.
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