Senators’ Jake Sanderson leaves Game 3 against Hurricanes

Marc DesRosiers-Imagn

Senators’ Jake Sanderson leaves Game 3 against Hurricanes

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Tyler Kuehl | Last updated Apr 23, 2026 10:11 PM ET

Another blow to the Ottawa Senators‘ blue line at an important point of the season.

During the third period of Game 3 of the Metropolitan Division Semifinal between the Senators and Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa announced that defenseman Jake Sanderson wouldn’t be returning to the game.

The team didn’t specify what led to the talented rearguard exiting the contest, but it was clear that it was connected to what happened to him during the second period. Just before the halfway mark of the contest, Sanderson blocked a shot with his left hand. Then, later in the shift, the 23-year-old took a high hit from Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall. Sanderson was seen walking down the tunnel as the Sens were about to embark on a 5-on-3 power play.

The Hockey Central panel discusses Jake Sanderson leaving Game 3 with an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/qibexETrlI
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 24, 2026

Sanderson logged 13:19 of ice time across 12 shifts. He posted a plus/minus of -1 while posting a shot on goal, delivering a hit and being credited with a shot block.

The Whitefish, Mont. native exited the game with Ottawa trailing 1-0. However, the team fought back with Drake Batherson’s second goal of the series, tying things up. However, just over a minute later, Jackson Blake scored to put the visitors back out on top. Carolina ended up grabbing the 2-1 victory, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

It’s an unwanted occurrence for Ottawa. The team is without defender Artem Zub, who hasn’t played since getting hurt in the first game of the series. Playing against the top team in the Eastern Conference without two of their best blueliners isn’t a recipe for success.

It isn’t known the severity of Sanderson’s ailment, or if it will affect his status for Game 4 on Saturday. However, if the Sens don’t have No. 85 in the lineup, the brooms might be getting pulled out in Kanata.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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