Hurricanes beat the Senators 2-1 to take a 3-0 series lead

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.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) and Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) collide during the second period of an NHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho (20) and Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) collide during second period of an NHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake (53) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with Logan Stankoven (22) during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson (19) scores on Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake (53) scores on Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) as Senator's Thomas Chabot (72) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens is planning to sign the $27.3 million franchise tag after the club declared it wouldn't negotiate a long-term contract this offseason, two people with knowledge of the decision said Thursday.

Pickens has yet to sign the one-year, fully guaranteed contract but intends to put the issue to rest as the Cowboys go into the NFL draft, the people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the signing isn't official.

The move by Pickens comes a day after executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said the Cowboys planned for Pickens to play on the tag this season. The sides would have had until July 15 to try to reach agreement on a long-term deal.

By signing the agreement, Pickens can be fined for not showing up at mandatory minicamp in June or for training camp in July. But getting under contract allows the 25-year-old to participate in the offseason program, which starts Monday.

The timing of Pickens’ decision — just two hours before the start of the draft — raised speculation about a trade. Jones shut it down.

“We’ve got every reason in the world to believe that hopefully he's ready to go to work," Jones said after the first round of the draft. “But we have zero intention of moving George Pickens.”

Pickens, acquired last offseason in a trade with Pittsburgh, had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, who is going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that currently ranks him third among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.

There is incentive for Pickens to take the guaranteed money under the tag because it's a huge payday compared to the total earnings of $6.8 million on his four-year rookie deal.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence played a season under the franchise tag within the past eight years for Dallas before reaching long-term deals. Tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Tony Pollard also played under the tag before leaving in free agency the next year.

Jones said the “newness” of Pickens' tenure with the Cowboys was a factor in the decision to stick with a one-year deal for now and not a longer contract.

Pickens’ talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, but so were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity.

Brian Schottenheimer never took issue with Pickens publicly in his first season as a head coach after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. But Pickens and Lamb were benched for the first series in Las Vegas after missing curfew following a casino visit the night before the game.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) runs a route during an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, Dec. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron, File)