RALEIGH, N.C. _ Nino Niederreiter's first game with the Carolina Hurricanes didn't prove to be very memorable.
The Canes were beaten, 4-1, by the Ottawa Senators, a team battling through a challenging season but playing some of their best hockey of late, winning four of their last five.
Remember how much the Carolina has struggled in New York's Madison Square Garden? For the Senators, PNC Arena has been their Madison Square Garden.
The Canes (22-20-5) had picked up points in 18 straight games against the Senators on home ice, going 16-0-2 in the past 18 games. That came to an end Friday, as did Carolina's five-game overall win streak at home.
The Sens (19-24-5) were the quicker, more alert, more aggressive team in their first win at PNC Arena since March 2015. While the Canes got some sparkling stops at times from goalie Petr Mrazek, the Sens' Anders Nilsson was better in net with 33 saves.
Canes forward Warren Foegele did sneak the puck through Nilsson in the second period. Fighting through traffic in the slot with the puck, he got off a sharp-angle shot that hit Nilsson's paddle and popped through the goalie's pads for his sixth of the season.
Magnus Paajarvi had a first-period goal for the Sens, whacking a rebound past Mrazek, and was so stoked about the score that he fell to the ice. Bobby Ryan, Mark Stone and Christian Wolanin then had second-period scores to give Ottawa a 4-1 lead.
Ryan's goal came after sustained pressure by the Sens in the Carolina zone, and Stone had a quick-wrister from the top of the left circle after a face-off win for his 22nd. Wolanin made it 4-1 for the Senators, the defenseman jumping into the rush as the Sens beat the Canes down the ice in transition.
Niederreiter was traded to the Canes on Thursday by Minnesota in a move that sent center Victor Rask to the Wild. The forward was in the starting lineup Friday, playing left wing on a line with center Greg McKegg and winger Justin Williams and had some offensive opportunities.
The Canes, after winning seven of eight games, had a miserable 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday at the Garden, when the Canes' best line was centered by Rask and had rookie Saku Maenalanen score both goals. That was Carolina's 16th straight loss to the Rangers in New York.
The Canes, who beat the Sens, 5-4, early in January in Ottawa, had some early jump Friday but never got into a good flow or rhythm, failing to convert on two first-period power plays. Nor did forward Micheal Ferland win his fight with defenseman Mark Borowiecki, the Sens' tough guy, late in the first.
A clear-cut win by Ferland in a fight Sunday against Nashville's Austin Watson helped key a 6-3 win over the Predators. But no heavy punches were landed in this one, which resulted in a Sens power play.
The Canes play their last three games before the NHL All-Star Game break on the road _ at Edmonton, Calgary and then Vancouver. They don't play at home again until Feb. 1, against the Vegas Golden Knights.
