The top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes needed extra time and then some to protect home ice Monday night. In a dramatic double-overtime thriller, Carolina edged the Ottawa Senators 3–2 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference First Round matchup, grabbing a 2–0 series lead before the series shifts north to Canada’s capital for Game 3 on Thursday.
Jordan Martinook delivered the decisive moment at 13:53 of the second overtime, beating goaltender Linus Ullmark from the slot after a relentless effort to keep the puck alive along the boards. Moments earlier, Nikolaj Ehlers found Martinook between the circles, while Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal provided traffic at the top of the crease to partially screen Ullmark. The goal sparked a jubilant mob celebration in the corner and finally ended one of the most chaotic games of the young postseason.
Carolina appeared in control early behind first-period goals from Logan Stankoven and Sebastian Aho, but Ottawa responded in the second period as Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens scored to even the game at 2–2.
Despite surrendering the lead, Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen steadied himself and finished with 37 saves, several of them crucial late in regulation and overtime to keep Carolina alive.
Ottawa’s Ullmark was equally outstanding, stopping 43 shots and repeatedly frustrating Carolina’s attack. Among his highlights were a glove save on a blistering one-timer from Taylor Hall in the second period and a shoulder stop on Staal from point-blank range in the final seconds of regulation that preserved the tie.
The first overtime period alone delivered enough drama for an entire game.
Carolina thought it had won when Mark Jankowski buried a rebound with 2:42 remaining in the extra frame, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. But the celebration ended abruptly after a video review ruled the play offside, wiping away the apparent winner.
Moments later came another rare playoff twist. Martinook earned a penalty shot the NHL’s first postseason overtime penalty shot since 2020 but Ullmark denied him to extend the game further.
The sequence stemmed from a hooking penalty against Warren Foegele during a frantic stretch in which Carolina pressed with an extra attacker and nearly ended the contest twice.
Martinook refused to let his earlier miss define the night.
Early in the second overtime, he chased down a loose puck near the boards to maintain offensive-zone possession. Seconds later, Ehlers found him open between the circles, and this time Martinook made no mistake slipping the puck past Ullmark for the series-shifting winner.
For the Eastern Conference’s top seed, it was a gritty response after surrendering a two-goal lead and surviving multiple momentum swings. Carolina now heads to Ottawa holding a 2–0 advantage and full control of the series tempo.
The Senators, meanwhile, showed resilience but continued to miss defenseman Artem Zub, who remained out with an undisclosed injury after leaving Game 1 and being listed as a game-time decision before Game 2.
With the series shifting venues, Ottawa will look to turn its strong effort into a breakthrough victory while Carolina carries confidence after surviving one of the postseason’s most dramatic early tests.
