Preview: Round 1, Game 1 vs. Ottawa
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Key Points:
- Brandon Bussi delivered a standout performance, stopping 27 of 28 shots to help the Carolina Hurricanes secure a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders, with goals from Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Jankowski.
- The Hurricanes are making their eighth consecutive Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance, marking a franchise record, and will enter as the Eastern Conference's top seed after achieving 53 wins this season.
- Goaltending decisions for the playoffs remain flexible, with Frederik Andersen likely to start Game 1, while Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov, who is recovering from surgery, may also see time in net.
- The Ottawa Senators, despite being a lower seed, are considered a challenging opponent, having recently defeated the Hurricanes 6-3 and posting a strong post-January record, though their penalty kill ranks near the bottom of the NHL.
- Senators' goalie Linus Ullmark, with the lowest save percentage of his career this season, has been Ottawa's primary netminder but will face a Hurricanes team boasting the NHL's fourth-best power play.
