The Ottawa Senators defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 7-5 in their regular-season finale, with Drake Batherson scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in the third period. Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk returned to the lineup but left the game due to a facial injury. Adam Gaudette scored twice for Ottawa, while Skyler Brind’Amour scored his first NHL goal for Carolina. Ottawa will face Toronto in the playoffs, while Carolina will play against New Jersey in the postseason opener. Ottawa's Travis Hamonic played his 900th NHL game during the match.
Carolina was coming off a 4-2 loss to Montreal, securing a playoff spot for the Canadiens. Ottawa rested Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub in preparation for the playoffs. Batherson's power-play goal with 6:22 remaining in the game proved crucial, propelling Ottawa to victory just minutes after he tied the score.