2025-26 Regular Season, Game 66 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes didn't put it all together with their mothers in the building on Thursday night. They jumped out to an early lead when Mark Jankowski picked off a pass and dangled around a defender before putting it past Jordan Binnington as he crashed into the net. This was the only time that the Hurricanes would beat Binnington. Early in the second, Jimmy Snuggerud scored from just inside the blue line, using a screen from Jaccob Slavin to tie it up. Snuggerud struck again late in the third, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce over Jalen Chatfield's stick and loose defensive coverage by the captain. Pavel Buchnevich scored into the empty net to seal the road victory for the Blues. Binnington made 31 stops to lead the 3-1 upset win.

Injury Report
Shayne Gostisbehere: He hasn't played since the first period in Edmonton, and I don't get the sense that he'll be good to go in Tampa tonight.

The Opponent: Tampa Bay Lightning (40-20-4, 84 Points; 2nd in the Atlantic Division)
Last Meeting: These two giants collided in Raleigh for the Canes' first game after the Olympic pause, while Tampa was playing the second half of a back-to-back. The home team got off to a quick start against Jonas Johansson. Nikolaj Ehlers started the party by taking a stretch pass from K'Andre Miller and snapping it against the grain to open the scoring. Before the 3:00 mark, Logan Stankoven, celebrating his birthday, completed a beautiful give-and-go with Taylor Hall. Then, Hall was the recipient of a gorgeous set-up by Jackson Blake, who dangled around a defender to make it 3-0 just 6:41 into the game. However, this hot start was quickly halted by the Lightning. Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov scored 35 seconds apart late in the first period to pull within one, and Dominic James tied it early in the second, erasing the Canes' advantage. Seth Jarvis put the Canes back in front before the halfway point in the contest, but Brayden Point scored on the power play late in the second to tie it once more before the third. The Canes' power play proved to be the difference. Sebastian Aho floated a one-timer over Johansson's shoulder to give the Canes their third lead, and this one stuck. Four Canes finished with multiple points as they held on for dear life in a battle between the East's best. 

Since We Last Met: Their loss in Raleigh has sent them down a rough road, losing six of their last eight games, all in regulation. Their lead in the Atlantic Division has disappeared, with the red-hot Buffalo Sabres jumping them for the top spot. Those two had a very spirited bout on Sunday night, featuring 15 goals and 102 penalty minutes as the Sabres won, 8-7. The Bolts recovered for a 4-1 win on Thursday night against the Red Wings. They've continued to deal with some injuries, with Nick Paul yet to return from his pre-Olympics injury, while Dominic James is out for the next month and a half after having surgery on his leg. Still, they remain one of the scariest teams to face. Nikita Kucherov is second in assists (72) and third in points (106). Brandon Hagel has reached 30 goals, with Jake Guentzel close behind him with 29. Darren Raddysh continues to score points at a high rate on the back end. Andrei Vasilevsky is the best goalie in the world again. Tonight marks the final game before they hit the road and follow the exact same path that the Hurricanes took to begin March, visiting Seattle, Vancouver, and Alberta next week.

Stories to Watch
1. Give the moms a show
The Hurricanes failed to get their moms a win on Thursday night, but they'll have a chance to rectify that with a very impressive performance against one of the best teams in the NHL. The Bolts have been sliding, but they aren't a team to let things like this snowball even further. Having their moms with them should give them an extra jolt, as should the potential arrival of Nicolas Deslauriers into the Canes lineup. He's in line to make his debut after practicing on the fourth line at practice on Friday. The Canes used a great start during their first game to set the tone, though they failed to maintain it. I'm just looking for a 60-minute effort from the Canes.

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