As the series shifts back to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4, Jordan Martinook's goal in double overtime gave Carolina a 3-2 victory and a 2-0 series lead.
Jordan Martinook's goal 13:53 into the second overtime gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 3–2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. The victory gives the 'Canes a 2–0 lead in their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series.
Linus Ullmark made 33 saves in regulation and 44 overall in what was likely his finest performance since joining the Senators in the summer of 2024.
For Ottawa, this wild, exciting, exhausting game didn’t start much better than it ended.
Just over five minutes in, Brady Tkachuk was called for a neutral-zone shove on Sebastian Aho, and the Hurricanes capitalized. Logan Stankoven, sitting alone in the slot, quickly ripped home a centering pass to make it 1–0.
In the second period, Tim Stützle's errant pass led to an odd-man rush. Jordan Staal’s pass went off Thomas Chabot’s skate, and Aho deflected it past Ullmark with his skates to double the lead.
Shortly after the Senators passed the midway point of the game (and series) without a goal, they finally caught a break.
Drake Batherson, at the side of the net, attempted a centering pass, but the puck bounced off a defender right back to him. He quickly shoveled it into a nearly empty net to cut the lead in half.
Almost six minutes later, Dylan Cozens tied the game at two with what appeared to be a harmless shot along the ice that slipped through Frederik Andersen’s pads. Cozens may have fanned on the attempt, which seemed to momentarily freeze Andersen.
Ottawa carried that momentum into the third period and controlled the pace of play, but their puck luck was done for the night. The period closed with yet another unreal Ullmark save, one of many he made in the game.
With under six minutes to play in overtime, Stützle had a chance to put the game away, but after a slick feed from Tkachuk, he beat Andersen but not the goalpost. It was the second time in the game Stützle had Andersen completely at his mercy.
Then, in the wildest series of events, Carolina's Jordan Martinook took a stick in the hands area while on a breakaway, which led to a delayed penalty on Ottawa.
With the extra attacker, the 'Canes scored what appeared to be the game-winning goal. But after Ottawa challenged the goal for offside, the review showed that Jordan Staal had put himself offside, crossing the line first without clear control of the puck.
But the penalty being called was going to be an overtime penalty shot for Martinook, which, by rule, apparently still stood, even though it happened after the offside.
Ullmark stood tall once again, stopping Martinook's wrist shot, and the Sens brought the game back from the dead for a second time.
With under nine minutes to play in the second overtime, Michael Amadio broke in all alone and tried to roof it. The puck just grazed Andersen's shoulder, and it fluttered off the post.
For all the help he got from his posts on Monday, Andersen had better spring for a new coat of red paint or something. The Sens struck iron five times on the night.
Then, as it so often goes, a minute after Amadio was a millimetre from being a hero, Carolina transitioned back and Martinook made no mistake with his shot this time, beating a screened Ullmark.
Unlike their last double-overtime loss nine years ago in Game 7 of the Eastern Final against Pittsburgh, there's still plenty of hockey left in this series, with the next two games back in Ottawa, but their margin for error is gone.
After a wild, emotional game like that, it will be interesting to see how the Senators respond in Game 3 on Thursday night.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News