How Can the Senators Take Game 3 from the Hurricanes?
Game 1 was a Carolina Hurricanes shutout over the Ottawa Senators. Game 2 was a disheartening loss for the Senators in double-OT. The Senators hit posts, and Ullmark stole the show, but Ottawa lost. They flew home bruised but loud, and Tkachuk’s swagger says it all. Belief is high, and this group has overcome long odds before.
Game 3 will be massive for Ottawa. Carolina’s up 2-0, and history is ugly for comeback teams. Still, the Senators have the pieces and momentum swings in playoff hockey are real.
Three things the Senators must do to win Game 3:
First, the Senators must finish their chances.
Ottawa rang three posts and hit the crossbar in Game 2. That’s all sorts of bad luck. They generated looks, got bodies to the net, and had the Hurricanes’ goalie, Frederik Andersen, scrambling. Right now, it’s simple. The Sens must crash the crease harder, create traffic, and bury the garbage goals. Big nights from Tkachuk, Batherson, or whoever brings the puck into the zone will change the vibe fast.
Second, Ottawa needs to keep playing hard defensively. But they must also play smarter.
They matched Carolina physically and didn’t fold under pressure. Repeat that work, but clean up the detail plays: fewer giveaways in the middle, better gap control on Jarvis and others, and clearer D-to-D communication. If the defence limits odd-man chances and wins puck battles in the slot, Ullmark won’t have to be a miracle worker.
Third, the Senators have to get blue-line help or get their injured defensemen healthy.
If Zub and/or Kleven can return even in a limited role, that’s huge. But don’t throw them to the wolves out of desperation. Use sheltered minutes, clean zone starts, and veteran support for their first shifts back. Even a partial boost on the right side of the blue line takes pressure off the forwards and helps tilt possession.
What’ll go right for the Sens in Game 3?
Here’s the optimistic take: Ottawa’s play in Game 2 showed they belong. Ullmark was great, the forecheck was relentless, and the team kept getting chances late. Those are the building blocks of a bounce-back home game. The coaching staff will tweak matchups, clean up the mental fatigue after a brutal OT loss, and the home crowd will be a huge factor. The Senators will feed off that energy.
If they finish the easy chances, protect their own end just a bit better, and integrate any returning defenders cautiously, Ottawa turns this series into a real fight. In short, the Senators played well enough to win already — now they’ve just got to make the puck go in and stay disciplined. Game 3’s the one where belief meets results.