Senators' wasted opportunities resulted in a humiliating sweep originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Ottawa Senators were the first team to be eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs after the Carolina Hurricanes completed the sweep on Saturday.
It was a very disappointing showing by the Senators in this opening round against the Hurricanes. Not only did Ottawa not win a single game, but they also never held a lead in any game throughout the four-game series.
Though they were completely dominated by Carolina, certain moments of the series went Ottawa’s way, and they never took advantage. In fact, it was a huge opportunity missed for the Sens to at least make it a longer series or put the Canes on the ropes.
Exhibit A would be the type of goaltending the Senators received from Linus Ullmark in these playoffs.
All season long, and even at times last year, Ottawa desperately needed Ullmark to perform better. Earlier in the 2025-26 campaign, the Senators’ goaltending was largely the reason the team had to claw its way into the post-season.
MORE: Senators Post-Mortem: Back To Drawing Board After First-Round Sweep Vs. Hurricanes
But toward the end of the regular season, and all of the playoffs, Ullmark performed the way the team has been begging him to. He recorded a .932 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average in the four-game series against the Hurricanes.
Ottawa could no longer use the goaltending excuse for their failures, and ultimately couldn’t ride the wave of Ullmark’s spectacular goaltending.
Not only did the Sens not take advantage of their goalie’s backstopping abilities in this series, but they also saw plenty of power play time.
Following Sunday’s fixtures, the Senators have the most power-play opportunities in the Stanley Cup playoffs with 21. Yet, they only recorded one marker on the man advantage - only the Buffalo Sabres have fewer power-play goals, having failed to register one so far.
MORE: A playoffs full of Brady Tkachuk problems opens door for Senators trade
The problem isn’t simply that Ottawa didn’t convert on its power play opportunities, but the Senators’ chances to bag a few goals were set on a platter.
In a short playoff round, the Senators still managed to earn four 5-on-3 power-play opportunities. It’s extremely rare to have that many two-man advantages in the post-season, let alone to average one per game in the first round.
With the talent of Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson (before he got hurt), Claude Giroux, and others, it’s completely mind-boggling how Ottawa couldn’t find the back of the net just a few more times against a defensively impressive Carolina team.
The Senators’ performance in this series could lead to a degree of shakeup within the organization, whether that’s with the roster or behind the bench. But the truth is, this wasn’t a pretty playoff campaign for Ottawa, and they’ll regret this for some time.
More NHL News
• Wild show the heart of a champion in crucial Game 4 comeback win
• Five young NHL stars we’d like to see play for Team Canada at the World Championship
• 'Not a question of if, it's a question of when,' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Winter Classic in Buffalo and more
• Todd McLellan’s blunt season-ending criticism highlights crucial off-season for Red Wings
• Steve Yzerman's job with the Red Wings appears safe, but for how long?
