![\"NHL:](\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/28443627.jpg\")
Mar 8, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) looks to control the puck during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nTampa Bay put it together in 60 minutes of winning hockey during its last outing, but the Lightning may have to be even better when the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes visit on Saturday night. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n The East’s heavy hitters will meet for the final time this regular season after facing each other shortly after the Olympic break on Feb. 26. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n On home ice in Raleigh, Carolina won that matchup 5-4 in regulation, avenging Tampa Bay’s 6-4 home win on Dec. 20 – two high-scoring affairs by skilled clubs who excel at putting the puck in the net.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division, coach Jon Cooper’s Lightning score 3.52 goals per game (fourth-most in NHL) and won 4-1 Thursday night over the Detroit Red Wings.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n It was just the home team’s second win in eight contests (2-6-0). <\/p>\n<\/section>\n Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel netted two goals apiece, and playmaking right wing Nikita Kucherov, who dealt one assist each to the wingers, achieved 1,100 career points in the win. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n He became the second Lightning member with 1,100, joining Steven Stamkos, who notched 1,137 points in 16 seasons playing bayside. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n Goncalves reached 10 goals to set a new career high for a season, just as he has in assists (13) and points (23).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “He’s always had (a high hockey IQ),” Cooper said of Goncalves. “It was just about how he was going to develop … what he can and can’t do. Pretty turnover-prone when he first came into the league, so he had to learn kind of the hard way.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n “Great example of a kid that’s fought through everything to get here and is doing a heck of a job.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Since Feb. 1, Carolina is 8-3-0 but went 1-1-0 on its two-game homestand, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 before falling 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Hurricanes rank sixth in scoring by averaging 3.46 goals.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n They lost for the first time in regulation at home since Jan. 3 and had a 12-game home point streak come to an end last time out.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Mark Jankowski scored the lone goal for the losing side on Team Canada silver medal-winning goaltender Jordan Binnington – his second straight game with a tally – and said he and his teammates have to be better in the middle period.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “We had a good start, but our last few games, our second period, we kind of had a lull,” Jankowski said. “We can’t have that. We’ve got to play a full 60 minutes. Every game in the NHL is a battle. Every night we’ve got to bring it for 60 minutes or else that’s going to happen.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Coach Rod Brind’Amour said the Jankowski-centered fourth line, featuring left wing William Carrier and right wing Eric Robinson, was rather unfortunately the team’s best grouping. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n “They were our best line,” said Brind’Amour. “That’s generally not a good thing because they don’t play that much. We’ve got to get more out of our top guys.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Seth Jarvis has tallied a team-high 28 goals, while Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov have 23 apiece. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n Goaltender Brandon Bussi (25-5-1, 2.37 goals-against average, .899 save percentage) made 14 saves vs. St. Louis but lost his second straight start for the first time in his career. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n