Ottawa Senators' Defense vs Carolina Hurricanes

0:00It's April 18th. Welcome in. This is NHL News Today, where your team meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. The Ottawa Senators are back in the playoffs for the second straight season, facing off against the Eastern Conference top-seated Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina racked up 113 points in both eight straight playoff trips without a first round loss since 2020. On the surface, it looks lopsided, but Ottawa's elite defense could flip the script. With a stingiest squad at 5 on 5 play, digging into the advanced stats, the Senators trail Carolina by just a hair in most categories, but their blue line stands out. They posted the lowest expected goals against Leaguewide, with top pairs like Jake Sanderson and Ardium Zube at 1.87 per 60. Minutes. Dept shines too. Their third pair and injury fill-ins all hovered under two expected goals against, edging out Carolina's best. Fans and players know the stakes, Ottawa battled shaky goal-tending all year, allowing way

1:00more goals than expected, but Linus Olmarchs turned it, around lately with a 9-10 save percentage over his last 11 starts. The Sen's also bring physicality, leading in hits while Carolina top giveaways, especially in their own zone. Captain Brady took a chuck, an agitator, rideley Greg, could make life rough for the canes. Coaches are calling it a grind. Travis Green praised Carolina's aggressive style and playoff savvy, while Rod Brenda Moore admitted Ottawa was a top team. Top to bottom despite their rocky start. Both sides geared up for tight games, likely packed with over times in one goal margins. If the Senators shut down defense holds, and Olmarch stays hot, they might snag their first series wins since 2017, shaking up the bracket.