The Carolina Hurricanes (36-15-6) hit the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning (38-14-4) as a part of Thursday's NHL action, starting at 7 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center and broadcast on ESPN+. The Hurricanes sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 78 points and the Lightning rank first in the Eastern Conference with 80 points.
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Hurricanes vs. Lightning: Feb. 26 Viewing Options
- Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- How to watch on TV: ESPN+
- Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Venue: Lenovo Center
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
Hurricanes' 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.39 | 6th |
| Goals Allowed | 2.81 | 6th |
| Shots | 31.7 | 2nd |
| Shots Allowed | 24.2 | 1st |
| Power Play % | 21.59% | 13th |
| Penalty Kill % | 80.75% | 11th |
Lightning's 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.55 | 2nd |
| Goals Allowed | 2.5 | 2nd |
| Shots | 28.2 | 15th |
| Shots Allowed | 26.4 | 7th |
| Power Play % | 21.35% | 14th |
| Penalty Kill % | 83.52% | 5th |
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Hurricanes vs. Lightning Top Players
Hurricanes
- Sebastian Aho has been imperative to Carolina's offense this season, recording 57 points in 57 games.
- Having scored 21 goals and adding 28 assists, Andrei Svechnikov is a top contributor for Carolina through 57 games.
- Carolina's offensive effort is aided by Nikolaj Ehlers' 49 points. He's contributed 29 assists.
- As Carolina's top goalie, Brandon Bussi has recorded 23 wins and 3 losses this season while giving up 59 goals with 566 saves.
Lightning
- Nikita Kucherov has collected 30 goals and 64 assists in 52 games for Tampa Bay, good for 94 points.
- Jake Guentzel is a top offensive contributor for Tampa Bay with 60 total points this season. He has scored 26 goals and added 34 assists in 56 games.
- Brandon Hagel's 27 goals and 27 assists add up to 54 points this season.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy is 28-7-3 in 38 games this season, conceding 80 goals (2.1 goals against average) with 910 saves and a .920 save percentage (third-best in the league).
Hurricanes vs. Lightning Injury Report
Hurricanes
Eric Robinson: Out (Upper Body),
Pyotr Kochetkov: Out For Season (Undisclosed)
Lightning
Max Crozier: Out (Abdomen),
Nicholas Paul: Out (Undisclosed),
Anthony Cirelli: Out (Undisclosed)
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Hurricanes' Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/1/2026 | Kings | W 3-2 | Home |
| 2/3/2026 | Senators | W 4-3 | Home |
| 2/5/2026 | Rangers | W 2-0 | Away |
| 2/26/2026 | Lightning | - | Home |
| 2/28/2026 | Red Wings | - | Home |
| 3/2/2026 | Kraken | - | Away |
| 3/4/2026 | Canucks | - | Away |
Lightning's Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/3/2026 | Sabres | W 4-3 | Home |
| 2/5/2026 | Panthers | W 6-1 | Home |
| 2/25/2026 | Maple Leafs | W 4-2 | Home |
| 2/26/2026 | Hurricanes | - | Away |
| 2/28/2026 | Sabres | - | Home |
| 3/3/2026 | Wild | - | Away |
| 3/5/2026 | Jets | - | Away |