Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes
NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes on Mar 18, 2026. Final score: Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Carolina Hurricanes 6.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 18, 2026 |
| Venue | Lenovo Center |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 5 |
| Carolina Hurricanes 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 | Sean Walker | D | 1 | 1 | 7 | 22:17 | 0.25 | 3.58 |
| 2nd | K'Andre Miller | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25:19 | 0.06 | 3.21 |
| 3rd | Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 0 | 3 | 1 | 17:50 | 0.06 | 2.93 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Pittsburgh Penguins–Carolina Hurricanes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 09:34 | CAR | Jordan Martinook | Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin | 4v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 09:57 | PIT | Sidney Crosby | Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 16:51 | CAR | Jackson Blake | Taylor Hall, Nikolaj Ehlers | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 00:59 | PIT | Erik Karlsson | Rickard Rakell, Evgeni Malkin | 3v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 03:27 | CAR | Taylor Hall | Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven | 5v5 | 2–3 |
| 3rd 07:16 | PIT | Bryan Rust | — | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 12:59 | CAR | Logan Stankoven | Nikolaj Ehlers, Jackson Blake | 5v4 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 14:46 | PIT | Erik Karlsson | Parker Wotherspoon, Sidney Crosby | 5v5 | 4–4 |
| 3rd 15:09 | PIT | Ben Kindel | Anthony Mantha, Ilya Solovyov | 5v5 | 5–4 |
| 3rd 17:09 | CAR | K'Andre Miller | Sean Walker, Nikolaj Ehlers | 5v5 | 5–5 |
| OT 04:31 | CAR | Sean Walker | Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis | 3v3 | 5–6 |
Team Comparison
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 6 |
| Shots on goal | 35 | 44 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.04 | 4.67 |
| High-danger shots | 15 | 20 |
| Corsi % | 38.8% | 61.2% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 47.5% | 52.5% |
| Hits | 24 | 26 |
| Blocks | 16 | 9 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 5 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson | D | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 24:02 | 0.18 | 2.24 |
| Rickard Rakell | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 20:46 | 0.11 | 1.62 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 18:33 | 0.42 | 1.39 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 18:33 | 0.57 | 1.10 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14:36 | 0.46 | 0.99 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:54 | 0.00 | 0.80 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:34 | 0.00 | 0.72 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 17:24 | 0.18 | 0.59 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:57 | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| Ilya Solovyov | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:39 | 0.00 | 0.19 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12:53 | 0.37 | 0.10 |
| Elmer Soderblom | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:59 | 0.17 | 0.03 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13:18 | 0.66 | -0.22 |
| Evgeni Malkin | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21:43 | 0.00 | -0.23 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:49 | 0.33 | -0.31 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:44 | 0.12 | -0.48 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:59 | 0.00 | -1.36 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25:28 | 0.05 | -1.47 |
Carolina Hurricanes Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Walker | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 22:17 | 0.25 | 3.58 |
| K'Andre Miller | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25:19 | 0.06 | 3.21 |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | L | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 17:50 | 0.06 | 2.93 |
| Jackson Blake | R | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 18:06 | 0.42 | 2.15 |
| Jordan Staal | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:00 | 0.31 | 1.98 |
| Jordan Martinook | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16:38 | 0.71 | 1.98 |
| Taylor Hall | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15:38 | 0.40 | 1.87 |
| Logan Stankoven | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15:19 | 1.27 | 1.84 |
| Sebastian Aho | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 20:56 | 0.54 | 0.28 |
| Eric Robinson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:55 | 0.34 | 0.19 |
| William Carrier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:51 | 0.00 | 0.11 |
| Seth Jarvis | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 20:03 | 0.60 | -0.04 |
| Mike Reilly | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:34 | 0.06 | -0.09 |
| Jaccob Slavin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23:52 | 0.03 | -0.11 |
| Mark Jankowski | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:39 | 0.28 | -0.13 |
| Jalen Chatfield | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:43 | 0.00 | -0.40 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:02 | 0.06 | -0.47 |
| Alexander Nikishin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:20 | 0.14 | -0.86 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Skinner | Pittsburgh Penguins | 38 | 44 | 86.4% | -0.48 | O |
| Frederik Andersen | Carolina Hurricanes | 30 | 35 | 85.7% | -1.36 | W |
Analysis
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6–5 on Mar 18, 2026, a one-goal game.
Carolina Hurricanes generated 4.67 expected goals to Pittsburgh Penguins's 4.04 — Carolina Hurricanes edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Sean Walker led all skaters with a Game Score of 3.58 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 7 shots on goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes game?
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6–5 on Mar 18, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Carolina Hurricanes 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 5.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Sean Walker led all skaters at 3.58, on 1G, 1A and 7 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Carolina Hurricanes generated 4.67 expected goals and Pittsburgh Penguins generated 4.04, so Carolina Hurricanes created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Pittsburgh Penguins put 35 shots on goal and Carolina Hurricanes put 44. High-danger chances went 15 to 20.
How did the goaltenders play?
Stuart Skinner stopped 38 of 44 (-0.48 goals saved above expected); Frederik Andersen stopped 30 of 35 (-1.36 goals saved above expected).