NHL action on Saturday includes the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-13-3) hosting the Carolina Hurricanes (22-9-3) at Benchmark International Arena, starting at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Lightning sit in 10th place and the Hurricanes are first in the Eastern Conference.
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Lightning vs. Hurricanes: Dec. 20 Viewing Options
- Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- How to watch on TV: ESPN+
- Location: Tampa, Florida
- Venue: Benchmark International Arena
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
Lightning's 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.15 | 11th |
| Goals Allowed | 2.62 | 6th |
| Shots | 27.9 | 18th |
| Shots Allowed | 26.7 | 8th |
| Power Play % | 16.51% | 23rd |
| Penalty Kill % | 85.19% | 2nd |
Hurricanes' 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 3.26 | 5th |
| Goals Allowed | 2.74 | 8th |
| Shots | 32.9 | 2nd |
| Shots Allowed | 24.6 | 1st |
| Power Play % | 16.04% | 24th |
| Penalty Kill % | 81.05% | 16th |
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Lightning vs. Hurricanes Top Players
Lightning
- With 13 goals and 29 assists this season, Nikita Kucherov is one of Tampa Bay's top contributors (42 points).
- Having scored 15 goals and adding 19 assists, Jake Guentzel is a strong contributor for Tampa Bay through 34 games.
- Tampa Bay's scoring effort is aided by Brandon Hagel's 34 points. He's contributed 13 assists.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (11-7-2) has a 2.3 goals against average and a save percentage of .916 for Tampa Bay.
Hurricanes
- Sebastian Aho's 13 goals and 18 assists in 34 games for Carolina add up to 31 total points on the season.
- Seth Jarvis has racked up 29 total points (0.9 per game) this season. He has 19 goals and 10 assists.
- Shayne Gostisbehere is a key player on offense for Carolina with three goals and 22 assists.
- Frederik Andersen has an .874 save percentage (61st in the league), with 306 total saves, conceding 44 goals (3.2 goals against average). He has put together a 5-7-2 record this season.
Lightning vs. Hurricanes Injury Report
Lightning
Erik Cernak: Out (Undisclosed),
Brandon Hagel: Day-To-Day (Upper Body),
Victor Hedman: Out (Elbow),
Emil Martinsen Lilleberg: Out (Undisclosed),
Nikita Kucherov: Day-To-Day (Illness)
Hurricanes
Charles-Alexis Legault: Out (Hand),
Jordan Martinook: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Seth Jarvis: Out (Upper Body)
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Lightning's Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/13/2025 | Islanders | L 3-2 | Away |
| 12/15/2025 | Panthers | L 5-2 | Home |
| 12/18/2025 | Kings | L 2-1 | Home |
| 12/20/2025 | Hurricanes | - | Home |
| 12/22/2025 | Blues | - | Home |
| 12/27/2025 | Panthers | - | Away |
| 12/28/2025 | Canadiens | - | Home |
Hurricanes' Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/14/2025 | Flyers | W 3-2 | Home |
| 12/17/2025 | Predators | W 4-1 | Away |
| 12/19/2025 | Panthers | L 4-3 | Away |
| 12/20/2025 | Lightning | - | Away |
| 12/23/2025 | Panthers | - | Home |
| 12/27/2025 | Red Wings | - | Home |
| 12/29/2025 | Rangers | - | Home |