The Carolina Hurricanes punched their ticket to the second round the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 4.

The Canes swept the season thanks in part to Frederik Andersen's stellar performances, a staunch PK and a red hot second line.

After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, along with Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall, Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho and Sean Walker spoke with the media in Ottawa. Here's what they had to say:

On the intensity of Game 4: It's like we've kind of talked about all year, whatever way the game goes, our group can handle it. I didn't love all the penalties, obviously. There's a fine line you have to try and balance. Don't know if we did a great job there, but I loved just the compete level of our group from Game 1 all the way through. Pretty impressive.

On the second line: That was the key in the whole series if you had to boil it down. We had our old guys: [Jordan Staal], [Jordan Martinook], [Frederik Andersen], [Taylor Hall] were amazing, and then our young guys — [Jackson Blake] and [Logan Stankoven]. That line was the difference if you had to pit it down to one line. But we need everybody and I think everyone had their hand in it.

On the penalty kill: Game 1, we got to see what was going on and Tim Gleason, who runs our D, just did a great job with the little adjustments, I thought. Then you have to give credit to our penalty kill, the guys that went out there. I think Slavo, today, was out there for 10 of the 13 minutes we were shorthanded. That kind of says it all for you. It's not the recipe, you don't want to be in the box that much, but if you are, it certainly gives us confidence that we can handle it.

On Frederik Andersen's importance in the series: Can't understate that, especially when you consider how well the other guy was playing in their end. Like, it was a goalie matchup and they were going save for save. And we needed it. Otherwise this thing could have looked a lot different. Freddie... that was probably the best hockey he's played for us since being a Hurricane.

On the biggest steps the team has taken since last year: We'll see. I mean, I guess I'll have to answer that maybe, hopefully, later. But I do know that experience matters. You could just feel it. With all that was going on in this game, it easily could have gone sideways for us. Gonna have to go back and dissect all the little things that happened that I'm like, 'How did we get shorthanded out of that.' Guy comes off the bench talking to the ref, comes off the bench, starts an altercation and then we ended up short? It was just insane. The guys, they're playing the game. They're in it. They understand this is happening. We've been through all this before. Like it's happened before and so there was just zero panic. I chalk that up to we having been down this road before.

On Alexander Nikishin and Nikolaj Ehlers' status: I thought [Ehlers] was going to go. He was questionable and just didn't feel right. Obviously we need him in there. Nikishin, I can't tell you. That's obviously a concussion there or something. Certainly looked like one. So I don't have anything definitive there on that one.

On the team's ability to execute the game plan: I'm really proud of the group for the way they played. We were up 3-0 and the tendency, human nature, is to maybe not put the full foot on the gas, but our first period was great. We came out like we wanted to finish this and we had to playing against that team. You're not gonna win if you didn't come with that attitude and I thought we were able to do that for all four games.

On the team: It's a special group. It has been, but then we've added really, really great players that have that attitude. And the young kids that we've added are just blossoming. We're watching it live. They don't look like 22 year old kids. It's impressive how they're playing and the competitiveness that they're playing with. And like I said earlier, the veteran players that have been here and we've added Hallsy... I'm very fortunate to coach a group like that.

On the top line: That line did diddly squat this whole series. So that's a positive. Thankfully, their top line, they kind of cancelled each other out, but that's a good sign that we can get through a team like that and those guys weren't really a factor. We know moving on that they're gonna have to be better and they will.

On closing out the series: It's nice. That was our plan coming into today. Was a bit of a roller coaster game, lots of penalties, but we found a way to stick together and get through it. It's nice and now we'll have a few days here to rest up.

On proving that they won't be physically pushed around by teams: I think tonight was a good challenge for us. Just trying to stick together and not crossing the line too much. Just being there for each other and I thought we did a good job for the most part of just handling our emotions. Our penalty kill was huge and a couple of big blocks at the end there. I think you learn something each series and I think Florida last year taught us something. So now it's our turn to learn from that and move forward.

On his goal scoring confidence: That last one, I was just trying to get it to the net. It was a good bounce off the boards and just the way I saw it out of the corner of my eye, the goalie was kind of going to be in desperation mode and so I just tried to throw it there. Luckily enough, it went in so it's nice to contribute individually and I think our line has been good. We're just keep going on that.

On getting some time to rest and recover: It's nice to have a few days just to reset. It was a tight series and every single game, it was just a little play here or there that was the difference. I thought everyone came up at different times to make huge plays in the series. Ottawa is right there. It was nice to get the job done, but it was tight, for sure.

On keeping composure: I didn't know what the reaction was going to be. I was just coming in to play and then I got the puck in the first shift and I'm getting booed. Just had to refocus a little bit and know that they were really gonna try to be physical on me because of what happened. You can either run away from it or you can lean into a little bit and that's kind of what I chose to do. It was a crazy game to play in. Lots of emotions and I'm exhausted right now. But a great win for us. Our penalty kill and Freddie were the difference.

On Logan Stankoven: He's been awesome. I think if you look back at how he played the last 10-15 games of the regular season, our line was clicking pretty well. He had so many chances all year long and when you start to see some pucks go in, it just makes you feel better. I think that's probably how he's going. But it's the other stuff too. Like we weren't on for a goal against all series and he's our centerman. He's the guy down low doing the work. So it's not just the goals. It's a 200-foot game that him and our line has done pretty well at.

On where he feels his game is at: I couldn't imagine being in a better spot teamwise. Just the mix of guys that we have and having Rod as a coach has been awesome for me personally. I think the way he pushes buttons, it's not really pushing buttons, but he gets the most out of his players and I think as the year has gone on, I just felt more comfortable and more comfortable to the point where I don't really have to think much out there and when I get to  that point, I feel pretty good as a hockey player.

On Frederik Andersen's performance: Timely saves, saves that he makes look easy. He almost stops the momentum even with how he stops the pucks sometimes. It doesn't even look like it's a big deal. He's able to cover pucks and pucks just stick to him. He was amazing. He just has a level in the playoffs and he did this last year too where he can really get to that. I mean, Ullmark was fantastic too, but Freddie was just that much better. It was awesome to see.

On executing the game plan: It's just how we play. It's interesting. When we get to the playoffs, we don't have to change a whole lot. Maybe just up the physicality a bit, be ready for some more emotions in the game, but our game plan is the exact same. It's just the execution and the details are that much more magnified. But that's what makes the playoffs really fun in a Hurricane uniform. Nothing is really different.

On the series: Special teams, for sure, was the biggest thing, I think. The PK was solid. That's a good power play too. We did a good job of really giving them not a whole lot. And then the power play came up big with a couple of big goals in games to give us a little lead. I think special teams was the biggest thing. Freddie was great and the rest of the game, 5v5, was tight. That's a good team, they played hard, but fortunately enough, we came up with some wins.

On pushing back against Ottawa's physicality: I think we probably went a little cuckoo in the second there and probably didn't help ourselves in a few situations. Obviously I think we were on the other side of calls on a few of them, but we didn't help ourselves either. We can do a better job of using that energy better and channeling that energy in a more positive way. I think we got off from what we want to do, but like I said, the PK came up big for us. Then in the third period, we did settle down and started playing our game and it showed. We started taking control of the game from there.

On Frederik Andersen: Both of our goalies have been unbelievable all season long. Freddie was unreal. I mean, every little squirrelly moment, he came through with some big saves and just kind of ate pucks and slowed the game down and just made big saves on a bunch of chances. In all throughout those games, he was great. You need that if you want to win games.

On Taylor Hall: He's been great. He gives us another dynamic there and he skates obviously so well. He's just been making solid plays with the puck and creating offense in a great way. With that line, there's no question that they were the best line in that series and they helped us win all four of those games. That line was huge for us. We're gonna need that and obviously the rest of the crew can chip in a little more as we go. But I've seen it before. In some series, different lines match up and play well. Hopefully they keep doing what they're doing and everyone else keeps improving their 5v5 game.

On Logan Stankoven: Just exceptional obviously. Like I said before, that line and Stanks, really took control of that series for us and found ways to bury them. I just kept telling Stank to get to the net because pucks seemed to be finding him. Another big goal tonight. He's been so good and he competes so hard and he just wants it so bad. That's what everyone else in this room feeds off of and wants as well. It's been fun to watch.

On the penalty kill: I think that was the biggest reason why we won that series. We killed so many penalties in crucial moments. That was a big one for us and obviously me and Jarvy, I felt like we were using some of that energy too toward that. But then you take 10 penalties, and that doesn't help your 5v5 game or anything like that. But I loved how we battled. Just kept pushing.

On resetting for the third period: That was probably the message there. Just stay 5v5 and try to take over the game that way. I thought at 5v5, we were fine. We were playing good hockey and obviously there was so many penalties so there was barely any, but it was a very mature third period from us. That's a big one.

On the team's execution: We executed really well. We played really well without the puck. I thought we gave them no room and we were blocking shots, checking bodies. You could go on down the list. I thought we were just grinding them out and trusting that we'd get those one or two looks and bury them when we had a chance. Obviously Stankys line carried us throughout the series. That was awesome.

On not getting pushed around physically: The battle level and the way we stuck together, that was unbelievable, but there was a few things also that we want to learn from probably. That's the beauty of these things. Now we get to play more hockey and hopefully we can use that experience if that ever comes in front of us. Take the bads and goods and flush it.

On settling down after an emotional second period: Obviously it was a pretty interesting period, so it was definitely a moment to come in here, cool down, reset and try to not give them as many opportunities on the power play.

On the penalty kill: At the end of the day, I think special teams was the difference. The whole series, we did a really great job on the penalty kill and then today, the power play stepped up when we needed a goal. That's the difference at the end of the day, for sure.

On Frederik Andersen: Unbelievable. It could have been a different series if he wasn't playing the way he was. Stood on his head every night, made incredible saves when we needed them. He was a real difference in this series, for sure.

On the team's compete level: I think they competed really hard, especially tonight. You knew that was obviously their last chance to stay alive this season and so I thought the compete was great. At the end of the day, we worked our asses off too and at the end of the day, we got rewarded for it.

On the mindset heading into second round: Same mindset. No different. Stick to our game plan, play hard every night and keep going.

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