Carolina heads to Ottawa with a 2-0 series lead for Game 3 of the Eastern First Round. The Hurricanes finished the regular season 53-22-7 and have been one of the league’s most consistent two-way teams, while the Senators (44-27-11) are trying to flip the series with last change at home.
The current market makes Ottawa a small home favorite despite Carolina’s edge in shot volume, shot suppression, and special teams. With the total sitting at 5.5, books are also signaling a tighter checking game than a typical Senators matchup.
Odds & Game Info
Thursday, April 23, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre (Ottawa, ON). Puck drop: 7:30 PM ET. Odds as of 10:08 AM ET on April 22, 2026.
This odds table is from BetOnline.
| Market | Carolina Hurricanes | Ottawa Senators |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +104 | -125 |
| Puck line | +1.5 (-245) | -1.5 (+194) |
| Total (5.5) | Over 5.5 (-124) | Under 5.5 (+102) |
Team Records
Team records and splits are listed below.
| Team | Record | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | 53-22-7 (Road: 24-12-5) | 7-2-1 |
| Ottawa Senators | 44-27-11 (Home: 23-12-6) | 6-3-1 |
Team Stats
These full-season team rates set the baseline for the matchup.
| Team | Goals per game | Goals allowed per game | Power play % | Penalty kill % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | 3.55 | 2.88 | 24.9% | 80.6% |
| Ottawa Senators | 3.35 | 2.99 | 24.0% | 75.8% |
Recaps
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina has won the first two games of the series (2-0 in Game 1, 3-2 in 2OT in Game 2) and has allowed just 2 total goals through those two contests. In Game 1, Frederik Andersen posted a 22-save shutout in a 2-0 win, and Carolina followed it up by grinding out a 2OT road-style win in Game 2 before traveling to Ottawa.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa returns home down 0-2, and the margin is thin but real: two losses, two total goals scored, and no room for a penalty-kill leak against Carolina’s top-tier shot volume. The Senators’ injury situation on the blue line is also a developing concern with Artem Zub and Tyler Kleven both listed as out for the season (both updated April 22, 2026).
Matchup Keys
- Shot volume and suppression: Carolina is generating 32.2 shots for per game and allowing 23.9 shots against per game; Ottawa is at 28.9 SF/G and 24.4 SA/G.
- Special teams leverage: Carolina’s power play (24.9%) faces Ottawa’s penalty kill (75.8%), which is the clearest unit-on-unit edge on the board.
- 5v5 profile (xG and shot share): Carolina posted a 59.03% shot-attempt share and 56.01% expected-goals share; Ottawa posted 53.73% and 55.20%, respectively. Both can play, but Carolina’s territorial margin is larger.
- Goaltending uncertainty vs baseline: Ottawa leaned on Linus Ullmark in the regular season (28-12-8, 2.73 GAA, .891 SV%); Carolina’s regular-season goaltending included Brandon Bussi (31-6-2, 2.47 GAA, .894 SV%) and Frederik Andersen (16-14-5, 3.05 GAA, .874 SV%).
- Ottawa defensive depth: If Ottawa is forced to stretch matchups without Zub and Kleven, it increases the likelihood of extended Carolina O-zone time and penalties taken while defending.
Betting Trends
- Carolina is 24-12-5 on the road in the regular season.
- Ottawa is 23-12-6 at home in the regular season.
- Carolina closed the regular season 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
- Ottawa closed the regular season 6-3-1 in its last 10 games.
- The Under 5.5 has hit in both games of this series (2-0, then 3-2 in 2OT).
- Carolina’s season profile supports lower totals: 2.88 goals allowed per game and just 23.9 shots allowed per game.
- Ottawa’s penalty kill (75.8%) is the most fragile regular-season unit metric among the four special-teams rates in this matchup.
- Carolina finished the regular season with an elite shot-attempt share (59.03%), which tends to travel well in playoff road games.
Best Bet
Under 5.5 (+102). Carolina’s defensive baseline is strong (2.88 GA/G and 23.9 SA/G), and the first two games of the series have produced just 7 total goals combined, even with one going to 2OT. Ottawa can generate chances, but this is a difficult matchup to create clean looks against a Carolina team that consistently wins the shot battle. The biggest risk to the Under is special-teams volatility if Ottawa takes multiple minors, so discipline matters more here than usual.
Predicted Score
Our computer projections model for this matchup predicts a final score of Hurricanes 3, Senators 2
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