Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Hurricanes Complete Sweep Of Senators

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk
By Avry Lewis-McDougall | Last updated Apr 25, 2026 11:20 PM ET

After 2025’s first round of the NHL Playoffs had no sweeps, we have our first of 2026.

The Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 win in Game 4 over the Ottawa Senators finished off their series as Logan Stankoven‘s go-ahead power play goal in the third period, and his fourth goal of the series would hold up as the series winner for Carolina.

Carolina would open the scoring in the second thanks to Taylor Hall, but less than three minutes later, Drake Batherson on a Senators power play would offer a response. The score would stay at 1-1 going into the third until Stankoven would beat Linus Ullmark with 09:10 into the third period. Sebastian Aho’s first of two empty net goals would make things 3-1 Carolina before Dylan Cozens would get one back for Ottawa to make it 3-2 late to briefly keep the Senators’ season alive. Aho’s second empty netter would erase all hope of a comeback in front of the fans at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata.

Emotions Boiled Over In Series Finale

This series didn’t end without drama. In the second period, a hit by Senators defenceman Tyler Kleven on Carolina’s Alexander Nikishin left Nikishin dazed and needing help getting off the ice, and resulted in the first big scrum of the game. Later in the period, there would be another scrum with most of the attention going towards Ottawa’s Ridly Greig who would punch Carolina’s Sean Walker while he was tied up with the Sens Warren Foegele. A moment that already has people asking for the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to take a look at it.

Brady Tkachuk A Non-Factor In Series

This year’s playoffs were one to forget for Ottawa’s captain. Brady Tkachuk. In four games, Tkachuk would record zero points, while being a -4 in the series. With the Senators season over, the question now remains: has he played his final game in a Senators jersey, or will he return for 2026-27? With rumblings on his future getting louder and louder, this offseason will be worth paying attention to if Senators brass pulls the trigger on a trade of their captain.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: