Carolina Hurricanes down Ottawa Senators to take 3-0 series lead

The Senators are in a familiar — and uncomfortable — playoff position.

Jackson Blake scored the winner in the second period and Frederik Anderson made 21 saves as Carolina beat Ottawa 2-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series Thursday.

Logan Stankoven had the other goal for the Hurricanes, who can sweep the best-of-seven showdown Saturday afternoon back at Canadian Tire Centre. Taylor Hall added two assists.

Drake Batherson replied for Ottawa. Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots.

The Senators also trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 in last year's opening round before eventually falling in six games.

Only four NHL teams have ever battled back to win a series after losing the first three games.

Carolina, which has made the Eastern Conference final two of the last three springs and are this season's top seed in the bracket, snapped a 1-1 tie with 2:31 left in the second, moments after Ottawa got on the board inside a pulsating rink.

K'Andre Miller moved down the left side on Ullmark before finding Blake with a cross-ice feed he buried into an yawning net.

The Senators started to push with under nine minutes to go in regulation, but the suffocating Hurricanes gave up very little in front of Anderson to send Ottawa into a deep playoff hole.

Carolina took Game 1 with a grinding 2-0 victory before securing a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 2.

Ottawa survived three minor penalties in the first, but was undone by a familiar nemesis before that parade to the box.

After the Senators pushed off the rush at the other end, the visitors raced the other way and Stankoven eventually buried his third of the series — and third opening goal in as many games to set a playoff franchise record — past Ullmark at 5:13 with the