Hurricanes Vs Lightning: How to watch, start time, and what’s at stake March 14 in Tampa
The hurricanes vs lightning matchup takes center stage Saturday night as Carolina visits Tampa Bay to close out the teams’ season series at Benchmark International Arena, with both clubs entering near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Preview: March 14 at Tampa Bay — where the teams stand
Carolina arrives with a 41-18-6 record (88 points) and is listed first in the Metropolitan Division. Tampa Bay enters at 40-20-4 (84 points) and is listed second in the Atlantic Division.
Both teams played Thursday, March 12. Carolina’s most recent outing was a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, while Tampa Bay last played a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The game is also part of Carolina’s annual Moms’ Trip, with the Hurricanes traveling south for the visit to Tampa.
The standings framing differs slightly across the coverage: one watch guide describes Carolina as first in the Eastern Conference and Tampa Bay as third in the Eastern Conference, while another preview spotlights the Hurricanes as Metropolitan Division leaders and notes the Lightning sit two points behind the Buffalo Sabres for first place in the Atlantic Division, with a higher points percentage and two games in hand.
Hurricanes Vs Lightning: season-series context and notable storylines
Saturday’s meeting is presented as the season-series finale between the clubs. The prior meetings referenced include a Hurricanes 5-4 win in the first game back after the Olympic break and a Lightning 6-4 victory on December 20 at Benchmark International Arena.
One storyline centers on Tampa Bay’s recent run and a key contributor. The Lightning are described as having gone 4-6-0 in their past 10 games, and Nikita Kucherov is credited with 55 points in his last 25 games.
There is also a coaching milestone on the Carolina side: the game is Rod Brind’Amour’s 600th as head coach of the Hurricanes. The same preview states that once the puck drops, he will hold the record for most wins through 600 career coaching appearances, regardless of Saturday’s result.
Betting lines were also posted in one preview, listing Hurricanes +106 moneyline and Lightning -128, with an over/under of 6. 5.
How to watch Hurricanes vs. Lightning — TV channel and streaming options
Start time is listed as 7: 00 p. m. ET on March 14, 2026.
Viewing options vary by guide:
TV: FanDuel Sports Network is listed for the broadcast, with Mike Maniscalco on play-by-play, Tripp Tracy on color, and Hanna Yates providing off-ice reports. A pregame show is scheduled to start at 6: 00, with a postgame show set to run for about 30 minutes after the conclusion.
Streaming: One preview lists the FanDuel Sports Network App for fans in the Carolinas, and adds that outside the area the app carries out-of-market games. A separate watch guide lists the game airing on +.
Radio: A pregame show is listed as beginning at 6: 30 on 99. 9 The Fan, with the game coverage beginning at 7: 00 PM on the Hurricanes Radio Network. Streaming of the radio call is also noted as available on the Hurricanes app.
What happens next
With the season series set to wrap up in Tampa, the immediate next step is the game itself—one that arrives with both teams clustered near the top of the standings and with recent results pointing in opposite directions from Thursday’s games. How the two clubs manage their momentum from those last outings, and whether the season-series finale shifts any perceptions ahead of the stretch run, will be a central focus once the puck drops at 7: 00 p. m. ET.
