March 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right fielder Nikita Kucherov (86) controls the puck during the third quarter against the Buffalo Sabers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Image Tampa Bay won 60 minutes of hockey in its last outing, but the Lightning may need to be much better when the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes visit on Saturday night.
The East’s heavy hitters will face each other immediately after the Olympic break on February 26 and then face each other for the final time this regular season.
On home ice in Raleigh, Carolina avenged Tampa Bay’s 6–4 home win on December 20, winning 5–4 in regulation. This was two high-scoring performances by an experienced club that excels at putting the puck in the net.
Coach Jon Cooper’s Lightning, who are second in the Atlantic Division, are averaging 3.52 goals per game (fourth in the NHL) and earned a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
It was only the home team’s second win in eight contests (2-6-0).
Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel each scored two goals, and playmaking right wing Nikita Kucherov, who provided one assist each for the wingers, reached 1,100 career points in the win.
He became the second Lightning member with 1,100 points, joining Steven Stamkos, who had 1,137 points in 16 seasons at Bayside.
Goncalves set career highs in a season with 10 goals, as well as assists (13) and points (23).
“He’s always had a high hockey IQ,” Cooper said of Goncalves. “It was about how he was going to develop… what he could do and what he couldn’t do. When he first came into the league there was quite a bit of turnover so he kind of had to learn the hard way.
“He’s a great example of a kid who has overcome everything and is doing an incredible job to get here.”
Since Feb. 1, Carolina is 8-3-0 but 1-1-0 in two home games, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 before falling 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
The Hurricanes ranked sixth in scoring with a goals-against average of 3.46.
They lost their first home game since January 3 and their 12-game home scoring streak ended last time out.
Mark Jankowski scored the team’s lone goal in the loss to team Canada silver medal-winning goalie Jordan Binnington. It was his second consecutive game scoring record and he said he and his teammates needed to get better in the interim period.
“We got off to a good start, but there was a bit of a lull in the last few games, the second season,” Jankowski said. “We can’t do that. We have to play for 60 minutes. Every game in the NHL is a battle. Every night we have to play for 60 minutes or that’s what’s going to happen.”
Coach Rod Brind’Amour said the Jankowski-centric fourth line, which includes left wing William Carrier and right wing Eric Robinson, is rather unfortunately the team’s best group.
“They were our best line,” Brind’Amour said. “They don’t play that much, so that’s generally not a good thing. We need to get more from our best players.”
Seth Jarvis scored a team-high 28 goals, while Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov each had 23.
Goaltender Brandon Bush (25-5-1, 2.37 goals-against average, .899 save percentage) made 14 saves against St. Louis but lost his second straight start for the first time in his career.
–Field level media
