Senators' season ends after controversial Hurricanes goal sparks outrage
The Ottawa Senators were swept out of the first round today, losing 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on home ice, and the final goal is already the most talked-about moment of the series.
Sebastian Aho scored into an empty net to make it 4-2 and seal the elimination.
What the officials missed, or chose not to call, will not be forgotten in Ottawa anytime soon.
Jordan Martinook blocked a shot and was visibly hurt, moving slowly toward the Hurricanes bench.
A Carolina skater jumped onto the ice before Martinook had reached the bench.
That is six men on the ice. A textbook too-many-men penalty. It was not called.
Aho scored on that same sequence. Season over.
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Refs let the Senators die with six men on the ice against them
The Hurricanes finished the series 4-0, and the score line does not tell the full story.
Ottawa went 0-2 in Raleigh to open the series, then dropped a 1-2 decision at home in Game 3 before Saturday's 4-2 loss closed it out.
Carolina's power play was operating at 20% in this game, clicking on 1 of 5. The Senators managed just 11.1% on their own opportunities, going 1-for-9.
Logan Stankoven was the real engine for Carolina all series. The 23-year-old finished with 3 goals and 4 points in 4 playoff games, including a power-play goal tonight that put the Hurricanes up 2-1 in the third.
Taylor Hall also had a strong run, adding 5 points in 4 games.
For Ottawa, the offensive production dried up completely when it mattered most.
Tim Stutzle went held scoreless through all 3 previous playoff games before tonight. Brady Tkachuk, who missed 22 regular-season games, finished the series without a single point and went minus-3.
That is your captain. Zero in four games.
Linus Ullmark saved .931 in his 3 previous starts this series, giving the team every chance to win. The defense and top forwards simply did not score enough around him.
Drake Batherson scored tonight to tie the game at 1-1, finishing with 2 points in the series. Dylan Cozens added the other Ottawa goal.
But by the time those two were contributing, Carolina had already taken control.
The too-many-men situation will be examined, dissected, and argued about for weeks. And it should be. The sequence directly preceded an empty-net goal that turned a one-goal game into a two-goal cushion and ended Ottawa's season.
Was it a deciding factor? That depends on who you ask.
What is not debatable is that Rod Brind'Amour's team gets to move on, and Travis Green's group has a long summer ahead.
The Senators finished the regular season at 44-27-11. They earned their playoff spot. This series showed both how close they are and how far they still need to go.
Stutzle and Tkachuk both need to show up in a playoff series. Until one of them does, Ottawa will keep running into walls like this one.
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APRIL 25, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Sebastian Aho | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Drake Batherson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brock Faber | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matt Duchene | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mikko Rantanen | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Carter Yakemchuk | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Dylan Cozens | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Miro Heiskanen | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jason Robertson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan Hartman | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mark Jankowski | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kirill Kaprizov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nico Sturm | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||