Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec 21, 2025. Final score: Carolina Hurricanes 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 6.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 21, 2025 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Carolina Hurricanes score | 4 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 6 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jake Guentzel | C | 2 | 0 | 5 | 19:19 | 0.87 | 1.55 |
| 2nd | Ryan McDonagh | D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:34 | 0.21 | 1.44 |
| 3rd | Dominic James | C | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10:44 | 0.00 | 1.28 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Carolina Hurricanes–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 02:42 | CAR | Eric Robinson | Jordan Staal | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 04:00 | CAR | Jackson Blake | Nikolaj Ehlers, Shayne Gostisbehere | 4v5 | 2–0 |
| 1st 12:27 | CAR | Bradly Nadeau | Logan Stankoven | 4v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 00:30 | TBL | Gage Goncalves | Dominic James, Max Crozier | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 2nd 01:20 | TBL | Brayden Point | Charle-Edouard D'Astous, Nikita Kucherov | 5v5 | 3–2 |
| 2nd 16:36 | TBL | Jack Finley | Dominic James, Yanni Gourde | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 02:47 | CAR | Andrei Svechnikov | Mark Jankowski, Jesperi Kotkaniemi | 5v5 | 4–3 |
| 3rd 03:13 | TBL | Ryan McDonagh | Pontus Holmberg, Charle-Edouard D'Astous | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| 3rd 06:38 | TBL | Jake Guentzel | J.J. Moser, Nick Paul | 5v5 | 4–5 |
| 3rd 19:33 | TBL | Jake Guentzel | Ryan McDonagh | 5v6 | 4–6 |
Team Comparison
| Carolina Hurricanes | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 6 |
| Shots on goal | 22 | 29 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.04 | 4.29 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 10 |
| Corsi % | 45.0% | 55.0% |
| Power play | 2/4 | 0/2 |
| Faceoff % | 42.3% | 57.7% |
| Hits | 23 | 19 |
| Blocks | 15 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 1 |
Carolina Hurricanes Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradly Nadeau | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 13:06 | 0.33 | 0.90 |
| Jordan Staal | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:08 | 0.00 | 0.89 |
| Eric Robinson | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13:50 | 0.21 | 0.75 |
| Jackson Blake | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19:25 | 0.95 | 0.75 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18:11 | 0.02 | 0.69 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:36 | 0.06 | 0.69 |
| Mark Jankowski | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10:55 | 0.00 | 0.59 |
| Logan Stankoven | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:22 | 0.18 | 0.59 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:12 | 0.42 | 0.50 |
| Jesperi Kotkaniemi | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10:06 | 0.00 | 0.39 |
| William Carrier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:50 | 0.00 | 0.25 |
| Alexander Nikishin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:45 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| K'Andre Miller | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:28 | 0.03 | 0.20 |
| Mike Reilly | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:45 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| Taylor Hall | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:52 | 0.18 | 0.10 |
| Sean Walker | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:05 | 0.08 | 0.05 |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:59 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
| Sebastian Aho | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:19 | 0.06 | -0.05 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Guentzel | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 19:19 | 0.87 | 1.55 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 19:34 | 0.21 | 1.44 |
| Dominic James | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10:44 | 0.00 | 1.28 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16:42 | 0.00 | 1.28 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22:55 | 0.12 | 0.89 |
| Brayden Point | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18:25 | 0.51 | 0.80 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:13 | 0.63 | 0.74 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10:18 | 0.21 | 0.70 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:42 | 0.01 | 0.69 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:50 | 0.33 | 0.69 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:25 | 0.16 | 0.64 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12:26 | 0.16 | 0.64 |
| Jack Finley | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8:19 | 0.35 | 0.50 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:30 | 0.28 | 0.10 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:01 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:44 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:22 | 0.02 | -0.20 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:06 | 0.22 | -0.25 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyotr Kochetkov | Carolina Hurricanes | 23 | 28 | 82.1% | -0.62 | L |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 18 | 22 | 81.8% | -2.33 | W |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6–4 on Dec 21, 2025.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 4.29 expected goals to Carolina Hurricanes's 2.04 — the run of play matched the result, with Tampa Bay Lightning earning the better chances as well as the goals.
Jake Guentzel led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.55 on 2 goals, 5 shots on goal.
Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 of 28, worth -0.62 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Carolina Hurricanes vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6–4 on Dec 21, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Carolina Hurricanes 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Jake Guentzel led all skaters at 1.55, on 2G, 0A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 4.29 expected goals and Carolina Hurricanes generated 2.04, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Carolina Hurricanes put 22 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 29. High-danger chances went 12 to 10.
How did the goaltenders play?
Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 of 28 (-0.62 goals saved above expected); Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 18 of 22 (-2.33 goals saved above expected).