Warren Foegele notched a goal in his first NHL game to start the scoring as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the visiting Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Monday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.

Foegele's goal came with 1:08 left in the first period. Foegele, a 21-year-old forward, assisted on Carolina's second goal.

Carolina's Valentin Zykov and Brock McGinn scored in a 98-second span of the second period. Sebastian Aho added an empty-net goal for his team-leading 27th tally of the season.

Derek Ryan provided two assists for the Hurricanes, who've won three games in a row to keep alive slim playoff hopes in the Eastern Conference.

Foegele became the fifth Carolina player this season to make an NHL debut. He had 42 points in 65 games with Charlotte of the American Hockey League until his promotion.

Carolina goalie Cam Ward made 19 saves, fending off a challenge from the Senators during the latter part of the third period.

The Hurricanes swept the three-game season series from the Senators, also winning Saturday night by 5-2 at Ottawa.

Bobby Ryan scored for Ottawa, which had only 12 shots through two periods. He has scored in back-to-back games, with Monday's goal tying the game midway through the second period.

Goalie Craig Anderson stopped 26 shots.

The Senators called up forward Ben Sexton, 26, from American Hockey League affiliate Belleville to make his NHL debut Monday as well, but he didn't make nearly the impact that his Carolina counterpart did.

This was Ottawa's only road game during a six-game stretch. The Senators fell to 4-3-0 on the road this month.

The Senators were short-handed with captain Erik Karlsson not making the trip. He missed two games last week after he and his wife announced their son had been stillborn. He made a surprise return to the lineup Saturday in Ottawa.

The Hurricanes played for the second game in a row -- and for the first time at home -- without co-captain Justin Faulk, a defenseman who's out with an upper-body injury.

--Field Level Media