Carolina entered Ottawa with the league's best record and left down six — faceoff dominance, special teams execution, and depth scoring dismantled a first-place team that couldn't win a draw or kill a penalty when it mattered. This was a structural defeat, not a fluke.
⚡TURNING POINT
Pinto's power-play goal 2:50 into the third extended Ottawa's lead to 4-2, closing the realistic window for a Carolina comeback before the period had developed. With the extra-attacker advantage converted and a two-goal cushion restored, Ottawa controlled the remaining 17 minutes from a position of safety rather than survival.
🏆WHY OTT WON
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Ottawa's 60.9% faceoff rate created a possession foundation that generated sustained offensive zone time — 39 faceoff wins to Carolina's 25 is structural control, not circumstance.
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Ottawa went a perfect 2/2 on the power play, converting both opportunities while Tkachuk generated 5 shots on goal and contributed two goals at 5v5, ensuring Ottawa scored through multiple mechanisms.
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Depth production was decisive: four different Ottawa skaters recorded multi-point games, preventing Carolina from keying on any single line.
📉WHY CAR LOST
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Andersen conceded 2.00 goals above league average on 30 shots — in a three-goal game, that margin was the deficit.
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Carolina lost the faceoff battle by 21 draws, surrendering zone entries and defensive-zone resets throughout, which directly enabled Ottawa's sustained offensive pressure.
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Carolina's 16 giveaways handed Ottawa transition opportunities that a team averaging five takeaways converted efficiently.
Three Stars
Brady Tkachuk1st
OTT, L
2G2P5 SOG+25 hits
His shot volume created constant net-front danger and both goals came at critical junctures that extended or protected Ottawa's lead.
Tim Stützle2nd
OTT, C
1G1A2P+1
His assist on the game-tying power-play goal in the first period reset the momentum Carolina had briefly seized.
Ridly Greig3rd
OTT, C
0G2A2P+24 hits
Both assists came on Tkachuk goals, meaning Greig's playmaking directly connected to Ottawa's two most physically impactful scores.
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Ottawa didn't beat Carolina's best players — they beat Carolina's structure, winning the faceoff battle by 21, converting both power plays, and getting contributions from four separate lines while Andersen conceded two goals above average on a manageable shot total.
