The Tampa Bay Lightning (18-13-3) take the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes (22-9-3) in NHL action on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena and broadcast on ESPN+. The Lightning are 10th (with 39 points) and the Hurricanes first (47 points) 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
- Nikita Kucherov has been critical to Tampa Bay's offense this season, racking up 42 points in 30 games.
- Having scored 15 goals and adding 19 assists, Jake Guentzel is an important piece of the offense for Tampa Bay through 34 games.
- With 31 points through 32 games (18 goals and 13 assists), Brandon Hagel has been an important part of Tampa Bay's offensive attack this season.
- 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 31 points make him a pivotal offensive option for Carolina. He has 13 goals and 18 assists in 34 games.
- Seth Jarvis has racked up 29 total points (0.9 per game) this campaign. He has 19 goals and 10 assists.
- Carolina's Shayne Gostisbehere is among the top offensive players on the team with 25 total points (three goals and 22 assists).
- Frederik Andersen is 5-7-2 this season, compiling 306 saves and giving up 44 goals (3.2 goals against average) with an .874 save percentage (61st in the league).
Lightning vs. Hurricanes Injury Report
Lightning
Victor Hedman: Out (Elbow),
Emil Martinsen Lilleberg: Out (Undisclosed),
Erik Cernak: Out (Undisclosed),
Brandon Hagel: Day-To-Day (Upper Body),
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 |