Martinook Scores in Double OT After Carolina's Goal Gets Waved Off, Hurricanes Go Up 2-0

Jordan Martinook just became the hero nobody saw coming. After watching his penalty shot get stopped in the first OT, Martinook battled through the chaos, chased down a loose rebound, and buried the game-winner at 13:53 of the second overtime period. Final score: Hurricanes 3, Senators 2. Carolina is now up 2-0 in the first-round series, and Ottawa has to be feeling the pressure heading back home.

The Roller Coaster Nobody Expected

This game had everything. Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, but then the Senators clawed back. Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored in the second period to tie it up at 2-2. Just like that, the momentum flipped. Then Mark Jankowski thought he had the overtime winner for the Hurricanes, but the refs waved it off on review for offsides. That's the kind of moment that can break a team. Not Carolina. Martinook kept his head, found the loose puck near the boards, and kept the possession alive in the attacking zone. Moments later, Nikolaj Ehlers found him between the circles, and Martinook beat Linus Ullmark with Ulmark partially shielded by Carolina captain Jordan Staal. Game over. Series goes to Ottawa's favor: not so much.

Ullmark Played Out of His Mind (Still Lost)

Credit to Linus Ullmark for standing on his head. The Senators goalie made multiple massive saves in the second period alone and came up huge again in the final seconds of regulation when he got his left shoulder on Jordan Staal's shot from near the top of the crease. That's the kind of performance that usually wins a playoff game. But sometimes the hockey gods don't care how good your goalie is.

On the other side, Frederik Andersen had 23 saves in regulation for Carolina. Logan Stankoven and Sebastian Aho scored the early goals that got the Hurricanes rolling.

Ottawa's Injury Trouble Growing

The Senators played Game 2 without defenseman Artem Zub, who left Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. Zub had been a game-time decision going in, and his absence clearly left a hole in the Ottawa blue line when it mattered most.

Game 3 moves to Canada's capital on Thursday. Carolina smells blood in the water. The Senators have their backs against the wall.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.