RALEIGH, N.C. — Spencer Martin of the Carolina Hurricanes achieved a significant milestone by recording his first career shutout, making 24 saves in a dominating 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
This match marked only Martin’s second start of the season and his inaugural appearance on home ice, where he impressively saved 11 shots in the third period alone.
The scoring for the Hurricanes was led by Jordan Martinook, Sebastian Aho, the rookie Jackson Blake, and William Carrier, each contributing a goal. Additionally, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Staal each tallied two assists, while Martin Necas extended his personal points streak to an impressive 12 games with one assist.
For the Senators, this shutout was their first of the season, with goaltender Anton Forsberg also stopping 24 shots during the game.
Martinook opened the scoring early, netting his sixth goal in six games just eight minutes into the first period. Aho then found the net for the first time in eight games, scoring a power-play goal eight seconds before the end of the second period.
Blake followed suit by scoring on a power play only 43 seconds into the third period, advancing the score to 3-0, while Carrier later capped off the night with an empty-net goal.
In terms of takeaways, the Senators’ three-game points streak came to an end, largely due to their struggles on special teams, as they failed to score on four power-play opportunities after successfully stopping opponents from scoring on the power play in their last four games.
On the other side, the Hurricanes maintained their consistency, as they have not suffered back-to-back defeats this season. This win also marked their sixth consecutive triumph at home after returning from a three-game road trip in the Western Conference.
A notable moment occurred when the Hurricanes transformed a struggling power-play unit, which had gone just 1 for 13 over three games, into a force by scoring twice within 85 seconds during the match.
Statistically, Martin’s achievement of becoming the third goaltender in the Hurricanes’ roster to secure a win this season is a key highlight.
Looking ahead, the Hurricanes are set to host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, while the Senators will begin a four-game homestand on Tuesday, facing the Edmonton Oilers.