Canes Dig Deep, Ride Aho, Jarvis, and Bussi to Gritty Win Over Senators
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes didn’t have their cleanest game of the season Tuesday night, but they found a way to grind out a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at Lenovo Center - thanks to a trio of standout performances and one clutch moment from their captain.
It was a game that had a little bit of everything: an early deficit, a mid-game scoring surge, some penalty trouble, and a late-game dagger. Through it all, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Brandon Bussi made sure the Canes walked away with two more points in the standings.
Aho’s Consistency, Jarvis’ Firepower
Ottawa came in hot and struck first, but Carolina didn’t wait long to answer. Late in the first period, Aho - always around the net - saw his rebound chance deflect off a Senators defender and past James Reimer to tie it up. It wasn’t the prettiest goal, but it was the kind of gritty, opportunistic play that’s become Aho’s calling card.
Then came Seth Jarvis, who took over the second period. In a flash - just 3:02 apart - he scored twice, both times in highlight-reel fashion.
The first was a slick finish in tight, the second a laser that beat Reimer clean. Just like that, Carolina flipped a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead.
Jarvis now leads the team with four multi-goal games this season and has 25 goals on the year - good for fifth among NHL players aged 24 or younger. It’s not just the volume, it’s the timing. He’s been the guy who tilts the ice when the Canes need it most.
Penalty Trouble Opens the Door
But the game wouldn’t stay tilted for long. The Hurricanes’ momentum stalled as penalty trouble crept in, and the Senators made them pay - scoring a power-play goal on either side of the second intermission to knot things up at 3-3.
For a moment, the game turned into a chess match. Both sides dug in.
Neither blinked. That is, until Jordan Staal saw his chance.
Captain Comes Through in the Clutch
With just over five minutes left in regulation, Nikolaj Ehlers forced a turnover during an Ottawa line change and spotted Staal streaking up ice. The pass hit him in stride, and the veteran center did the rest - snapping a breakaway shot past Reimer’s glove to give Carolina the lead for good.
It was Staal’s second game-winner of the season and his 14th goal overall - already surpassing last year’s total in 22 fewer games. Eight of those 14 have been go-ahead goals, second only to Jarvis on the team. When the game’s on the line, Staal’s still got that clutch gene.
Bussi Stays Rock Solid
And once Carolina had the lead, Brandon Bussi made sure it stayed that way. The rookie netminder was steady all night, especially when things got chaotic late. He stopped 22 of 25 shots overall, including 11 of 12 high-danger chances, and made a handful of game-saving stops in the final minutes.
It’s now six straight wins for Bussi, who continues to look like a long-term piece in net. He’s calm, composed, and delivers in the biggest moments - exactly what you want from a goalie trying to make his mark.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour praised Bussi’s poise, especially during a second-period stretch where Carolina’s defensive structure broke down and Ottawa generated a flurry of Grade-A chances. “Boom, boom, boom, boom,” Brind’Amour said, describing the Senators’ sudden surge.
“But that’s what we need. That’s what he’s done pretty much every start for us.”
Milestones and Momentum
Aho’s goal marked his third straight game with a tally and gave him 20 on the season - the 10th time he’s hit that mark in his career. That moves him past Eric Staal (9) for the second-most 20-goal seasons in franchise history, trailing only Ron Francis (16). Among Finnish-born players, Aho joins elite company as just the fourth to record 10 seasons of 20+ goals, alongside Teemu Selanne, Jari Kurri, and Aleksander Barkov.
After the game, Aho kept it simple: “We’ll take wins any way we can, right? That’s what we’re trying to do here - win hockey games, get some points, and get to the playoffs.”
Staal echoed the sentiment, calling it a “grind” of a game and crediting the defense for battling through Ottawa’s relentless forecheck. “It just takes one little mistake, which we capitalized on,” he said. “It was nice to get the win.”
One More Before the Break
The Hurricanes will travel to New York for their final game before the Winter Olympic break, facing the Rangers on Thursday night. No practice is scheduled before the trip - just one more game to empty the tank before three weeks of rest.
Jarvis summed up the team’s mindset heading into that last pre-break battle: “You don’t want to sit on a loss for three weeks. Just come in with the mindset of keeping this thing rolling, grinding one more out, and leaving it on the ice.”
With the way Carolina’s playing - and with key players like Aho, Jarvis, Staal, and Bussi stepping up - they’re showing the kind of resilience and depth that could make them a real problem come spring.