Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes
NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb 26, 2026. Final score: Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Carolina Hurricanes 5.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Feb 26, 2026 |
| Venue | Lenovo Center |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 4 |
| Carolina Hurricanes score | 5 |
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 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 22:03 | 0.60 | 2.79 |
| 2nd | Taylor Hall | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:01 | 0.24 | 2.12 |
| 3rd | Logan Stankoven | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:02 | 0.28 | 1.88 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Tampa Bay Lightning–Carolina Hurricanes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 01:43 | CAR | Nikolaj Ehlers | K'Andre Miller, Jordan Martinook | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 02:56 | CAR | Logan Stankoven | Taylor Hall, Jalen Chatfield | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 1st 06:41 | CAR | Taylor Hall | Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven | 5v5 | 0–3 |
| 1st 16:30 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Scott Sabourin, Jake Guentzel | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 1st 17:05 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Brayden Point, J.J. Moser | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 2nd 01:58 | TBL | Dominic James | Jake Guentzel, Ryan McDonagh | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 2nd 07:21 | CAR | Seth Jarvis | Andrei Svechnikov | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 2nd 14:02 | TBL | Brayden Point | Jake Guentzel, Darren Raddysh | 4v5 | 4–4 |
| 3rd 07:17 | CAR | Sebastian Aho | Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov | 5v4 | 4–5 |
Team Comparison
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 5 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 33 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.52 | 2.58 |
| High-danger shots | 19 | 11 |
| Corsi % | 47.9% | 52.1% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 55.4% | 44.6% |
| Hits | 15 | 23 |
| Blocks | 20 | 16 |
| Giveaways | 20 | 18 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 7 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 22:03 | 0.60 | 2.79 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15:43 | 0.12 | 1.75 |
| Brayden Point | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 22:06 | 0.60 | 1.56 |
| Dominic James | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 16:55 | 0.71 | 1.56 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:26 | 0.07 | 1.30 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:42 | 0.15 | 1.23 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 25:07 | 0.35 | 0.77 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5:00 | 0.00 | 0.68 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:01 | 0.08 | 0.34 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:04 | 0.02 | 0.11 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:21 | 0.00 | -0.23 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19:42 | 0.02 | -0.34 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:55 | 0.05 | -0.35 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26:01 | 0.10 | -0.37 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:01 | 0.30 | -0.52 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:53 | 0.00 | -0.54 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:04 | 0.19 | -0.85 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:19 | 0.00 | -1.17 |
Carolina Hurricanes Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Hall | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16:01 | 0.24 | 2.12 |
| Logan Stankoven | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16:02 | 0.28 | 1.88 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 18:36 | 0.46 | 1.72 |
| Seth Jarvis | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18:21 | 0.31 | 1.66 |
| K'Andre Miller | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20:42 | 0.02 | 0.92 |
| Jackson Blake | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:48 | 0.03 | 0.84 |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20:17 | 0.00 | 0.74 |
| Alexander Nikishin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16:13 | 0.11 | 0.69 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:45 | 0.04 | 0.69 |
| Sebastian Aho | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:43 | 0.22 | 0.61 |
| Jordan Martinook | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14:31 | 0.00 | 0.44 |
| Jaccob Slavin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:31 | 0.02 | 0.37 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.19 | 0.21 |
| Mark Jankowski | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9:45 | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| Sean Walker | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:12 | 0.00 | -0.03 |
| Jordan Staal | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.08 | -0.03 |
| Eric Robinson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:20 | 0.16 | -0.06 |
| William Carrier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:50 | 0.32 | -0.11 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 28 | 33 | 84.8% | -1.89 | L |
| Brandon Bussi | Carolina Hurricanes | 24 | 28 | 85.7% | -0.85 | W |
Analysis
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5–4 on Feb 26, 2026, a one-goal game.
Carolina Hurricanes generated 2.58 expected goals to Tampa Bay Lightning's 3.52 — Tampa Bay Lightning owned the better of the chances but Carolina Hurricanes took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Jake Guentzel led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.79 on 3 assists, 4 shots on goal.
Brandon Bussi stopped 24 of 28, worth -0.85 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes game?
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5–4 on Feb 26, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Carolina Hurricanes 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 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 2.79, on 0G, 3A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Carolina Hurricanes generated 2.58 expected goals and Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.52, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Tampa Bay Lightning put 28 shots on goal and Carolina Hurricanes put 33. High-danger chances went 19 to 11.