The Carolina Hurricanes will look to extend their six-game point streak when they play the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Saturday, December 20. The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. ET puck drop and will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network South and its app, with radio coverage available via 99.9 The Fan and the Hurricanes App.
The Hurricanes enter the matchup with a record of 22-9-3, leading the Metropolitan Division with 47 points. Their most recent game was a shootout loss to the Florida Panthers, where they gave up a three-goal lead in the third period and lost 4-3 after four rounds of shootouts. Sebastian Aho scored twice for his second consecutive multi-goal game, while Andrei Svechnikov added multiple assists for the second straight contest. Goaltender Brandon Bussi made 38 saves but saw his record move to 11-1-1.
Aho has emerged as an offensive leader after being held scoreless from December 7–14, collecting five points (four goals, one assist) over his last two games. His season total of 13 goals ranks second on the team behind Seth Jarvis’s 19 goals; Aho leads in overall points with 31.
The Hurricanes are expected to start either Pyotr Kochetkov or Frederik Andersen in net against Tampa Bay. Kochetkov recently improved to a season record of 6-1 following a strong performance in Nashville. Andersen has not recorded a win in his last six starts but remains optimistic about regaining form: “The way I look at it, I’ve played better hockey, and I’ve had worse numbers,” Andersen said after 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.”
Tampa Bay enters with an 18-13-3 record after losing eight of their last nine games this month following a seven-game winning streak in November. Nikita Kucherov leads their offense with 42 points over 30 games but missed Thursday’s match due to illness. Defenseman Darren Raddysh leads all Lightning defensemen with 24 points this season.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy returned from injury during Tampa’s most recent loss; Jonas Johansson may start if Vasilevskiy is rested.
On the injury front for Carolina, forward Seth Jarvis left Friday’s game and coach Rod Brind’Amour stated postgame that “It’s not good. He’s going to be out for a while.” Jordan Martinook is considered day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury earlier in the week and has yet to return to practice as of December 19th. Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault is expected to miss three to four months following surgery for lacerated tendons suffered in early November.
After Saturday’s contest, Carolina will travel back to Raleigh ahead of their next home game against Florida on Tuesday.
The Hurricanes play their home games at Lenovo Center in Raleigh—a venue that accommodates up to 20,000 people and hosts more than 150 events each year according to official information. The team also contributes over $200 million annually to the local economy through various events and community engagement initiatives as reported by its official website. Since moving from Hartford in 1997 according to NHL records, Carolina has achieved significant milestones including capturing its first Stanley Cup championship in 2006.
