Senators beat the Hurricanes 7-5 in the regular-season finale for the playoff-bound teams

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson scored the tying and go-ahead goals in the third period and the Ottawa Senators tuned up for the playoffs with a 7-5 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Brady Tkachuk returned to Ottawa's lineup after missing eight games because of an upper-body injury, then took a stick to the face with about five minutes left in the second period and didn’t return.

Adam Gaudette also scored twice for Ottawa (45-30-7). Dylan Cousins, Shane Pinto and Tim Stutzle added goals, and Linus Ullmark made 28 saves. Ottawa will open playoffs at Toronto on Sunday.

Skyler Brind’Amour, the son of Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour scored his first NHL goal, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Andrei Svechnikov, Jack Roslovic and Tyson Jost also scored for the Hurricanes (47-30-5). Carolina will open the postseason Sunday at home against New Jersey.

Hurricanes: Carolina was coming off a 4-2 loss in Montreal on Wednesday night that wrapped up a playoff spot for the Canadiens.

Senators: Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub were given the night off in advance of the playoffs.

Batherson gave Ottawa the lead on a power play with 6:22 to go, just 3:37 after he tied it.

Ottawa defenseman Travis Hamonic played his 900th NHL career game.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark, second from right, stretches for a pad-save on a shot by Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven, second from left, is stopped by Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes center Skyler Brind'Amour (76) scores against Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark, second from left, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) blocks a shot by Carolina Hurricanes' Bradly Nadeau (29) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) misses the puck as Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) leaps into position during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Scott Morrow (56) works under pressure from Ottawa Senators centre Ridly Greig (71) during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) celebrates after his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes left wing William Carrier (28) tries to score against Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) celebrates after his goal during third-period NHL hockey game action against the Carolina Hurricanes in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) scores against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during third-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Home ownership is receding further out of reach for most Americans as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices stretch the limits of what buyers can afford.

A homebuyer now needs to earn at least $114,000 a year to afford a $431,250 home -- the national median listing price in April, according to data released Thursday by Realtor.com

The analysis assumes that a homebuyer will make a 20% down payment, finance the rest of the purchase with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, and that the buyer’s housing costs won't exceed 30% of their gross monthly income — an often-used barometer of housing affordability.

Based off the latest U.S. median home listing price, homebuyers need to earn $47,000 more a year to afford a home than they would have just six years ago. Back then, the median U.S. home listing price was $314,950, and the average rate on a 30-year mortgage hovered around 4.1%. This week, the rate averaged 6.76%.

The annual income required to afford a median-priced U.S. home first crossed into the six figures in May 2022 and hasn't dropped below that level since. Median household income was about $80,600 annually in 2023, according to the U.S. Census bureau.

In several metro areas, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston, the annual income needed to afford a median-priced home tops $200,000. In San Jose, it's more than $370,000.

Rock-bottom mortgage rates turbocharged the housing market during the pandemic, fueling bidding wars for homes that pushed up sale prices sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars above a seller initial asking price. U.S. home prices soared more than 50% between 2019 and 2024.

The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from their pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. In March, they posted their largest monthly drop since November 2022.

It's not all bad news for prospective homebuyers.

Home prices are rising much more slowly than during the pandemic housing market frenzy. The national median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home rose 2.7% in March from a year earlier to $403,700, an all-time high for March, but the smallest annual increase since August.

In April, the median price of a home listed for sale rose only 0.3% from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com.

Buyers who can afford current mortgage rates have a wider selection of properties now than a year ago.

Active listings — a tally that encompasses all homes on the market except those pending a finalized sale — surged 30.6% last month from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com. Home listings jumped between 67.6% and 70.1% in San Diego, San Jose and Washington D.C.

As properties take longer to sell, more sellers are reducing their asking price. Some 18% of listings had their price reduced last month, according to Realtor.com.

“Sellers are becoming more flexible on pricing, underscored by the price reductions we’re seeing, and while higher mortgage rates are certainly weighing on demand, the silver lining is that the market is starting to rebalance,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. "This could create opportunities for buyers who are prepared.”

FILE - A sign announcing a home for sale is posted outside a home, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, in Aceworth, Ga., near Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

FILE - A housing development in Cranberry Township, Pa., is shown on March 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)