Hurricanes eliminate Senators after sweeping series in physical Game 4 win

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/carolina-hurricanes/Sx0gl0tm/"]Hurricanes[/a] goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andersen-frederik/OhFcnMIJ/"]Frederik Andersen[/a] finished the game with 25 saves, shutting down eight of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ottawa-senators/noTCHmWM/"]Ottawa[/a]'s nine power play opportunities. It's the franchise's second sweep in their playoff history.[/p][p]The Senators got bounced out of the first round in four games after finishing the series going 1-for-21 on the power play, failing to score more than two goals in any of the games.[/p][h2]Recap & Highlights[/h2][p]The first period was a near-even battle as both goalies wouldn't budge. Ottawa outshot Carolina only 8-7, while putting up 18 blocked shots to Carolina's five. [/p][p]They came close within the first three minutes of the game, but the puck bounced off the post. [/p][embed guid="89410c06-622d-4913-a166-9440567504d1" url="https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/2048120289993634043?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Both teams would also finish the first period 0-for-2 on the power play in the first, making it 0-for-14 in the series for the Senators. [/p][p]Meanwhile, Carolina wouldn't be much better, going 1-for-10 on the power play in the series entering the second period of Game 4. [/p][h2]A brutal second period[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nikishin-alexander/vy8C6iYL/"]Alexander Nikishin[/a] left the game with 15:25 in the second after taking a brutal hit from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kleven-tyler/vL3bB1Mh/"]Tyler Kleven[/a], who didn't receive a penalty. But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svechnikov-andrei/6DbeHrlr/"]Andrei Svechnikov[/a] received a double-minor for roughing as he went after Kleven following the hit. [/p][embed guid="9c490f20-1dc7-41e0-9d8e-164f9e0e2225" url="https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/2048135160516723055?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Ottawa's Ridly Greig would get pushed into Carolina's Frederik Andersen for goalie interference, despite being pushed into him completely, which would negate their original power play to make it a 4-on-4 for the next 23 seconds. [/p][p]With nothing going, Carolina would flip to the power play, who also did nothing with the advantage. Ottawa fell to 0-for-15 on the power play this series, Carolina to 1-for-11. [/p][embed guid="0a29f0a0-d447-4abc-8f60-b264ff691796" url="https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/2048136638643986782?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]But the fighting just got more intense afterwards. [/p][p]Carolina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/deslauriers-nicolas/pWuFtv75/"]Nicolas Deslauriers[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-eric/GGRRCXMA/"]Eric Robinson[/a] both got two-minute minors, while Ottawa's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tkachuk-brady/dvZapuEC/"]Brady Tkachuk[/a] received the same after a scrum at center ice with 10:11 left in the second, granting Ottawa yet another power play.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/staal-jordan/nybJM7z7/"]Jordan Staal[/a] would get called for tripping, making it a 5-on-3 opportunity for Ottawa to finally maximize their chances of breaking their power play scoreless streak - they [i]still [/i]failed, making it 0-for-17 in the series.[/p][p][b]Then, Carolina would break the ice with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hall-taylor/4dK9PWLO/"]Taylor Hall[/a] goal to make it 1-0 with under five minutes left in the second. [/b][/p][embed guid="bb2e604d-7589-4131-b130-d4e497b20119" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2048142235380699433?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Ottawa would finally get on the scoreboard to end their scoreless power play streak.[/p][p][b]Following a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/walker-sean/QcZl9CDS/"]Sean Walker[/a] boarding penalty, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/batherson-drake/t2DjcfL1/"]Drake Batherson[/a] scored his third goal of the series to make it 1-1 less than two minutes after Hall's goal.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stutzle-tim/fe0NyMwd/"]Tim Stutzle[/a] picked up his first point of the series with the assist before Walker (CAR) would go right back to the sin bin with [i]another[/i] boarding penalty, which was followed up by another Carolina penalty, this time on Eric Robinson. [/p][p]Both Walker's second boarding and Robinson's high-sticking were on Ottawa's Greig, who sucker punched Walker earlier in the big scrum at center ice.[/p][embed guid="d8be9555-1580-4c35-a435-d32eccd6c5c7" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2048143611527614704?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Third period[/h2][p]Ottawa would head into the third period with their 5-on-3 of the game with 21 seconds remaining, but would do nothing with the opportunity. [/p][p]Carolina was similar, having two power plays within the first ten minutes of the third, and it would prove to their advantage. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stankoven-logan/Mqmoc3L5/"]Logan Stankoven[/a] scored his fourth of the series in the fourth straight game to give the Canes a 2-1 lead, tying [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tampa-bay-lightning/YVE3zk1c/"]Tampa Bay[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hagel-brandon/r3gaDEq6/"]Brandon Hagel[/a] for the most goals of any player these playoffs.[/b][/p][p]He now has a goal in six of his last seven playoff games dating back to last year and became the first player in franchise history to start the playoffs with a four-game goal streak[/p][embed guid="5370f68a-ce22-4647-ae8d-b77d00bacdfb" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2048155297680634269?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Ottawa would go on their ninth power play of the game with under five minutes to go and failed to score once more before ultimately being swept away by the Hurricanes. [/p][p][b]Carolina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aho-sebastian/dvL9PWjc/"]Sebastian Aho[/a] scored an empty netter to make it 3-1 before Ottawa's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cozens-dylan/AatmMQGC/"]Dylan Cozens[/a] scored his second of the series to cut the lead to 3-2 with 1:50 left. [/b][/p][p]But Aho would score another empty-netter for the final nail in the coffin as the Hurricanes swept their way to the second round, where they await the winner between the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-flyers/QySGG7oT/"]Philadelphia Flyers[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-penguins/AkN0nWU6/"]Pittsburgh Penguins[/a]. [/p]