OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Jackson Blake broke a tie late in the second period, Frederik Andersen made 21 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
The top team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, the Hurricanes can wrap up the series Saturday in Ottawa.
“You just want to keep taking steps,” Andersen said. “That was a really good grind.”
Logan Stankoven also
scored for Carolina, and Taylor Hall had two assists.
Hall and linemates Stankoven and Blake have combined for 13 points in the series.
“They’ve been really special,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They’re contributing and putting goals up for us.”
Drake Batherson scored for Ottawa, and Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots.
Only four teams in NHL history have overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
“Pretty frustrating, but we’ve got to find a way,” Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk said. “We’ve never quit all season … got to step up to the occasion.”
Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson left in the second period after taking an illegal check to the head from Hall.
Stankoven opened the scoring at 5:13 of the first period with his third goal of the series. He beat Ullmark with a one-timer from the left side.
Batherson tied it with 3:54 left in the second, taking a pass from Nick Cousins in the slot, moving left and flipping a backhander past Andersen.
Blake countered 1:23 later, putting the puck in the open right side off a feed from defenseman K’Andre Miller.
Ottawa was 0 for 5 on the power play and generated just four shots on target — including 1:38 of 5 on 3 when Andersen had to make a solitary save — on the way to falling to 0 for 12 in the series.
“Didn’t really create anything, no momentum, nothing,” Senators center Tim Stutzle said. ”(We’ve) got to make quicker plays.”
On Monday night in Game 2 in Raleigh, Jordan Martinook scored in the second overtime in a 3-2 victory. The Hurricanes won the opener 2-0 on Saturday.
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