Preview: March 14 at Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla. - The Carolina Hurricanes head south to close out their season series against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena this evening.

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When: Saturday, March 14

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 41-18-6 (88 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 3-1 Loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, March 12

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Lightning Record: 40-20-4 (84 Points, 2nd - Atlantic Division)

Lightning Last Game: 4-1 Win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, March 12

Last Time Out...

• A hot start fizzled for the Canes as they fell 3-1 to the Blues at Lenovo Center on Thursday.
• Mark Jankowski grabbed the lone goal for the club, scoring for the second straight game.
• Brandon Bussi made 14 saves as he suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in his career.

Season Series vs. TB...

• Dec. 20: The Canes led 3-0 after 20 minutes at Benchmark International Arena, but squandered their advantage and eventually lost, 6-4.
• Feb. 26: In their first game back from the Olympic break, the Canes held off the Bolts at Lenovo Center, earning a 5-4 win.

Special Guests...

• When the plane took off south yesterday, 18 players had someone near and dear to them boarding the jet with them. The annual Moms' Trip allows players to bond with family while showcasing a day or two in their lives as pro athletes.
• The Hurricanes were victorious on the road during last year's "Mentors' Trip", knocking off the Red Wings 2-1 in Detroit in front of a large collection of their dads.

Roddy 600...

• Tonight will be Rod Brind'Amour's 600th game as Hurricanes head coach.
• 366-178-55 through his first 599 games, he already has the most victories of any head coach in NHL history through their first 600 games at the position.
• Brind'Amour has guided the team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all seven of his seasons behind the bench and has won at least one series in each of those seven trips.

In Net...

• With Brandon Bussi having started on Thursday against St. Louis, Frederik Andersen is likely in line to get the nod tonight.
• The 36-year-old veteran has won his last two starts, taking victories from Edmonton and Pittsburgh.

On The Other Side...

• A dominant force for much of the season, Jon Cooper's club has limped along since the Olympic break.
• Going 3-6-0 in that span, the Bolts have ceded the top spot in the Atlantic Division to the Buffalo Sabres for the time being, but enter tonight's contest coming off a victory over Detroit in their most recent outing.
• Tampa Bay made one deal at last week's Trade Deadline, re-acquiring Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings. The veteran spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Bolts, enjoying a trip to the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
• One of the NHL's perennial premier players, Nikita Kucherov reached 1,110 career points with a pair of assists on Thursday. Currently sitting third in the league with 106 points, the star Russian has found the scoresheet in four straight outings, including three multi-point efforts.

Injury Updates...

• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (lower-body injury) left during the team's Mar. 6 win in Edmonton and did not return. Rod Brind'Amour said on Mar. 10 that he would likely miss a couple of games.
• Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (hip surgery) was declared "probably out for the year" by Rod Brind'Amour on Dec. 29.

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 are scheduled to be off on Sunday.  They'll practice on Monday before flying to Columbus on Tuesday, where they'll begin a Metro Division back-to-back against the Blue Jackets.
• Next Game: Tuesday, March 17 at Columbus | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO
• Next Home Game: Wednesday, March 18 vs. Pittsburgh | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking