TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Lightning erased a three-goal deficit with six unanswered scores to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4 on Saturday night at Amalie Arena. Carolina raced to a 3-0 first-period lead on goals from Jackson Blake, Eric Robinson and Bradly Nadeau before a crowd of 19,092. Tampa Bay responded with three second-period goals, including one from Gage Goncalves just 30 seconds into the frame, to tie the game. Jake Guentzel scored twice in the third period for the Lightning, including the game-winner, and Ryan McDonagh added a goal and an assist. Andrei Svechnikov scored for Carolina in the final period. The victory improved Tampa Bay to 19-16, while the Hurricanes fell to 22-13.

TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — A three-goal first-period outburst by the Carolina Hurricanes was rendered meaningless by a relentless Tampa Bay Lightning comeback, as the home team scored six unanswered goals to secure a 6-4 victory in a National Hockey League contest Saturday night at Amalie Arena. A crowd of 19,092 watched the Lightning, sparked by a two-goal performance from Jake Guentzel, erase a three-goal deficit and dominate the final 40 minutes of play. The win improved Tampa Bay to 19-16, while Carolina fell to 22-13. The game’s narrative fractured into two distinct halves. Carolina came out flying, overwhelming the Lightning with pace and precision. The Hurricanes opened the scoring just 2:42 into the first period when Eric Robinson converted a slap shot off a feed from Jordan Staal. They doubled their lead on a power play at the four-minute mark, as Jackson Blake tipped in a puck from Nikolaj Ehlers and Shayne Gostisbehere. Bradly Nadeau made it 3-0 before the period was halfway done, finishing a play set up by Logan Stankoven at the 12:27 mark. The Hurricanes’ early dominance, however, would be their last stand. The game’s most important shift came at the start of the second period, where Tampa Bay began its methodical dismantling of Carolina’s lead. Just 30 seconds into the middle frame, Gage Goncalves took a pass from Max Crozier and beat goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov to get the Lightning on the board and fundamentally alter the game’s momentum. “That first goal early in the second was critical,“ the game’s key play-by-play log indicated, as Tampa Bay immediately seized control of the tempo. The Lightning continued to press, outshooting Carolina and tilting the ice. Brayden Point cut the deficit to one at 2:20 of the second, deflecting a shot from the point by Charles-Edouard D’Astous, with Nikita Kucherov earning the secondary assist. The tying goal arrived late in the period, a product of sustained pressure. At 17:36, Jack Finley collected a rebound off a shot from Dominic James and buried it past Kochetkov, with Yanni Gourde also assisting. The period ended 3-3, but the Lightning carried all the momentum into the third, having outshot Carolina significantly in the middle twenty minutes. The final period belonged entirely to Tampa Bay. They took their first lead of the night at 3:38. After a scramble in front of the Carolina net, Jake Guentzel pounced on a loose puck and slid a backhand past Kochetkov, with Janis Moser and Nick Paul providing the assists. The Lightning extended their lead just over two minutes later. At 5:47, defenseman Ryan McDonagh joined the rush and fired a wrist shot into the net, assisted by Pontus Holmberg and D’Astous, who recorded his second helper of the night. Carolina showed a brief flicker of life, as Andrei Svechnikov answered at 6:47, finishing a play from Mark Jankowski and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to bring the Hurricanes within 5-4. Any hope of a Carolina comeback was extinguished for good by Guentzel, who iced the game with his second of the night at 17:33. Taking a pass from McDonagh, Guentzel snapped a wrist shot for the decisive goal, completing the Lightning’s six-goal run. Guentzel, named the game’s top star, finished with two goals on five shots and added a hit. His linemate, Brayden Point, had a goal and an assist. The Lightning’s offensive push was facilitated by a multi-point night from defenseman Charles-Edouard D’Astous, who had two assists. Ryan McDonagh also had a strong all-around game with a goal and an assist. For Carolina, the loss marked a second consecutive defeat following a shootout loss in Florida the previous night. The Hurricanes’ early offense came from depth contributors, but their top players were largely silenced after the first period. Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov faced a barrage of 38 shots, while Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves to earn the win. The result defied pregame projections, which had given Carolina a slight probability edge. The combined total of 10 goals sailed over the projected over/under line. Carolina will look to regroup when they host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Tampa Bay, having snapped a three-game losing skid, will continue a homestand against the St. Louis Blues on Monday.

Hurricanes, Lightning Set for Atlantic Division Clash in Tampa TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning, two teams on divergent recent paths, meet Saturday at Amalie Arena in a key Eastern Conference matchup. The Hurricanes (22-12-0) arrive after a 4-3 shootout loss at Florida on Friday night, a result that snapped a four-game winning streak. Carolina has earned points in seven of its last nine contests. The Lightning (18-16-0) have struggled, dropping four of their last five games, including a 2-1 home loss to Los Angeles on Thursday. A focal point will be Carolina center Sebastian Aho, who enters on a torrid pace. He scored both regulation goals for the Hurricanes in Friday’s loss, giving him four goals and an assist in his last two games. His line will test a Tampa Bay defense that has been scored upon 15 times in its last five outings. Tampa Bay will counter with winger Oliver Bjorkstrand, who scored the lone goal in Thursday’s defeat and has three goals and two assists in his last five games. The Lightning will need more offensive support, however, as they have been held to two or fewer goals in four of their last five losses. Goaltending will be critical. Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to start after Frederik Andersen played Friday. Tampa Bay likely will turn to Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 18 saves in the loss to the Kings. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. According to National Statistical, its game simulator projects a 4-3 Lightning victory, while its ELO rating system gives Carolina a slight edge with a 52.3% probability to win. Carolina holds the fourth-best record in the conference, while Tampa Bay sits outside the playoff picture. A win for the Lightning is crucial to keep pace in the competitive Atlantic Division, while the Hurricanes aim to solidify their position near the top of the Metropolitan Division. The game is set for a 7 p.m. EST puck drop. UP NEXT: Hurricanes: Host Florida on Tuesday. Lightning: Host St. Louis on Monday.