February 26, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) scores with a shot during the third period of the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Image The blazing Carolina Hurricanes will look for their fifth straight win when they take on the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal on a power play at 7:17 of the third period to help the Hurricanes overcome a three-goal advantage against the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
The win extended the Hurricanes’ point streak to 11 games (9-0-2), and Brandon Bush made 24 saves for his eighth straight win.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall each scored early as Carolina jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period.
Stankoven, who turned 23 on Thursday, told the media after his first race after a long Olympic break. “I wanted to get back out there and contribute.” “It was nice to see the puck go in and see our line have some success. Sometimes you can’t control where the puck goes, but if you work as hard as you can and keep building on the little things, that’s all you can ask for of yourself.”
The Lightning battled back with three straight goals to close out the contest before Seth Jarvis scored to make it 4-3 for the Hurricanes. Aho then finished the game with a power play dagger in the third inning, scoring his fourth goal in the last five games.
Saturday’s contest will be the final game of a brief two-game homestand before the Hurricanes head west for a fourth straight.
The Red Wings enter the contest coming off a big win Thursday, dominating the surging Ottawa Senators 2-1 in overtime.
Captain Dylan Larkin scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the extra frame to help the visiting team earn two points.
“I felt good tonight,” said Larkin, who won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. “You know it’s a lot different than the Olympic gold medal game against Canada, but our team’s goals are huge. It’s been great to be back with the guys, and they’ve been really good to me since I’ve been back. And to score tonight, it’s right up there. It feels really special.”
John Gibson made 26 saves to help the Red Wings get back on track as they had lost four of five (1-3-1) before Thursday’s win.
“I think we found our game after the first period,” Gibson said of his team’s play. “I think it was clear in the last 40 minutes that we were getting stronger and stronger as the game went on.”
Saturday’s clash will be the fourth of a five-game road trip for the Red Wings.
Andrew Cobb scored the overtime winner in the most recent meeting between these two teams, as Detroit defeated the Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 12. The Hurricanes have generally outscored the Red Wings in recent history, winning seven of the last nine meetings (7-1-1).
–Field level media
