It didn’t take long before sparks flew in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with Brady Tkachuk and Jordan Staal providing the fireworks right from the opening game of the NHL postseason.
Tkachuk and Staal dropped the gloves just seconds into Game 1 of the first-round matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
The two team captains did not hold back, with Tkachuk landing multiple blows early on. Staal managed to stay upright before connecting with a counterpunch that threw Tkachuk off balance, as officials stepped in to separate the two.
Here’s a video of that wild fight to start things off in the playoffs.
TKACHUK VS STAAL OFF THE OPENING FACEOFF TO START THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS!!! 🥊
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 18, 2026
BEST PLAYOFFS IN SPORTS!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ljDY1bNXpf
Staal appears to have won that fight, though there’s also something to be said about Tkachuk’s volume punching.
But the most telling blows during the game were the goals scored by Carolina forwards Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall. Stankoven broke a scoreless tie in the second period, while Hall added an insurance goal in the third frame, as the Hurricanes picked up a 2-0 win for a 1-0 lead in the series. Meanwhile, Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen earned first-star honors for turning away all 22 shots on goal from Ottawa.
Game 2 will be on Monday at the same venue.
