Mar 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning proper wing Nikita Kucherov (86) seems to be to regulate the puck through the third interval in opposition to the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Heart. Necessary Credit score: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Pictures Tampa Bay put it collectively in 60 minutes of profitable hockey throughout its final outing, however the Lightning might should be even higher when the Japanese Convention-leading Carolina Hurricanes go to on Saturday evening.
The East’s heavy hitters will meet for the ultimate time this common season after going through one another shortly after the Olympic break on Feb. 26.
On residence ice in Raleigh, Carolina gained that matchup 5-4 in regulation, avenging Tampa Bay’s 6-4 residence win on Dec. 20 – two high-scoring affairs by expert golf equipment who excel at placing the puck within the web.
Sitting in second place within the Atlantic Division, coach Jon Cooper’s Lightning rating 3.52 objectives per sport (fourth-most in NHL) and gained 4-1 Thursday evening over the Detroit Purple Wings.
It was simply the house workforce’s second win in eight contests (2-6-0).
Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel netted two objectives apiece, and playmaking proper wing Nikita Kucherov, who dealt one help every to the wingers, achieved 1,100 profession factors within the win.
He turned the second Lightning member with 1,100, becoming a member of Steven Stamkos, who notched 1,137 factors in 16 seasons enjoying bayside.
Goncalves reached 10 objectives to set a brand new profession excessive for a season, simply as he has in assists (13) and factors (23).
“He is at all times had (a excessive hockey IQ),” Cooper mentioned of Goncalves. “It was nearly how he was going to develop … what he can and might’t do. Fairly turnover-prone when he first got here into the league, so he needed to be taught form of the laborious manner.
“Nice instance of a child that is fought by way of all the things to get right here and is doing a heck of a job.”
Since Feb. 1, Carolina is 8-3-0 however went 1-1-0 on its two-game homestand, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 earlier than falling 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday evening.
The Hurricanes rank sixth in scoring by averaging 3.46 objectives.
They misplaced for the primary time in regulation at residence since Jan. 3 and had a 12-game residence level streak come to an finish final day out.
Mark Jankowski scored the lone objective for the dropping facet on Crew Canada silver medal-winning goaltender Jordan Binnington – his second straight sport with a tally – and mentioned he and his teammates should be higher within the center interval.
“We had a great begin, however our previous couple of video games, our second interval, we form of had a lull,” Jankowski mentioned. “We will not have that. We have got to play a full 60 minutes. Each sport within the NHL is a battle. Each evening we have got to deliver it for 60 minutes or else that is going to occur.”
Coach Rod Brind’Amour mentioned the Jankowski-centered fourth line, that includes left wing William Service and proper wing Eric Robinson, was slightly sadly the workforce’s greatest grouping.
“They have been our greatest line,” mentioned Brind’Amour. “That is usually not a great factor as a result of they do not play that a lot. We have got to get extra out of our high guys.”
Seth Jarvis has tallied a team-high 28 objectives, whereas Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov have 23 apiece.
Goaltender Brandon Bussi (25-5-1, 2.37 goals-against common, .899 save proportion) made 14 saves vs. St. Louis however misplaced his second straight begin for the primary time in his profession.
–Discipline Stage Media
