Preview: December 20 at Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla. - The Carolina Hurricanes will try to continue their six-game point streak on Saturday when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena.

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When: Saturday, Dec. 20

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

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Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 22-9-3 (47 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 4-3 SO Loss to the Florida Panthers on Friday, Dec. 19

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Lightning Record: 18-13-3 (39 Points, 5th - Atlantic Division)

Lightning Last Game: 2-1 Loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, Dec. 18

Last Time Out...

• The Canes had a 3-0 lead in the third period on Friday night in Sunrise, but ultimately lost 4-3 in a shootout.
• Florida scored twice in the final 2:25 with the extra attacker on to force overtime and then took the extra point in a four-round skills competition.
• Sebastian Aho scored twice for the second consecutive game, and Andrei Svechnikov had multiple assists for the second contest in a row. Brandon Bussi stopped 38 out of 41, but fell to 11-1-1 with the loss.

Fish's Heating Up...

• After being held off the scoresheet for five consecutive games from Dec. 7-14, Sebastian Aho has broken out in a major way. Back-to-back multi-goal games and a total of five points (4G, 1A) in his last two showings have him looking like his normal self and playing a key role in the team's offense.
• Even with the brief lull, his 13 goals rank second on the team, trailing only Seth Jarvis (19). His 31 points pace the group.

In Net...

• After going with Brandon Bussi last night in Sunrise, the Canes are expected to turn to either Pyotr Kochetkov or Frederik Andersen this evening.
• Pyotr Kochetkov was solid on Wednesday in Nashville, improving to 6-1 with a 25/26 victory over the Predators.
• Veteran Frederik Andersen remains awaiting his next opportunity to try and get back in the win column after going 0-4-2 in his last six outings. His last start was Dec. 4, but he has remained optimistic that the record is not a reflection of his overall game.
• "The way I look at it, I've played better hockey, and I've had worse numbers," he said following his most recent outing. "It doesn't look good, obviously. We're not getting the wins with me in the net lately, but I still feel like I've got my game. Maybe not perfectly where I want it, but like I've said, I've had worse stretches where things have looked better, and I've gotten more wins. That's how I look at it. I try to be positive and move on."

On The Other Side...

• Since winning seven straight games to close out November, the Lightning have gone just 2-6-1 in December, ceding their position atop the Atlantic Division and falling into the mushy middle.
• Nikita Kucherov remains one of the best players in hockey, leading the Lightning with 42 points in 30 games this season, including eight in his last four games. Kucherov has tallied two or more points in 15 games this season; conversely, he's been held off the scoresheet just nine times. It is worth mentioning that he did not play on Thursday, though, missing the game due to illness.
• Another bright spot in Tampa has been the play of defenseman Darren Raddysh, who paces the blue line with 24 points this season. After breaking out with totals of 33 and 37 points in the last two years, respectively, the 29-year-old is on pace for another career year in 2025-26.
• After picking up an injury earlier this month, star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy returned to action in Thursday's loss. Should Tampa elect to ease its all-star backstop up to full speed with a night off, the Canes would likely face Jonas Johansson, who is 7-6-1 with a 2.76 GAA and .897 SV% this season.

Injury Updates...

• Forward Seth Jarvis was injured during overtime on Dec. 19. He did not return and post-game Rod Brind'Amour said, "It's not good. He's going to be out for a while."
• Forward Jordan Martinook left the game on Dec. 17 with a lower-body injury and has not skated since then. Rod Brind'Amour labeled him "day-to-day" when he spoke to the media on Dec. 19, but did not have any further update.
• Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault suffered a cut to his hand via a skate blade on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons on Nov. 10. He is expected to miss three to four months.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their WHITE uniforms for the contest. To view the team's full 2025-26 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes will fly back to Raleigh immediately post-game and are scheduled to be off on Sunday. They'll return to practice on Monday before taking on the Panthers for the second time in five days on Tuesday.
• Next Home Game: Tuesday, Dec. 23 vs. Florida | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking