Tampa Bay @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 10, 2019 ) Carolina 1, Tampa Bay 3

The Carolina Hurricanes look to remain unbeaten during their critical five-game homestand and solidify their playoff position when they host the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The Hurricanes recorded a 3-2 shootout triumph over Pittsburgh on Tuesday for their second straight win at home and fourth in five overall games to keep them four points clear for a Eastern Conference wild-card spot and two behind the Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

“You have to keep at it,” Carolina captain Justin Williams told reporters after scoring the tying goal late in regulation on Tuesday. “You’ve got to think and always believe you can do it. See it, think it, do it. … We’re playing well. We’re going to see where it takes us and see how good we can be.” The Hurricanes are 9-2-1 in their last dozen contests but dropped their first two meetings of the season with the Lightning, who are playing their third game in four nights after extending their winning streak to six games by knocking off Washington 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday. Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league with 119 points, scored twice and Andrei Vasilevskiy made a franchise-record 54 saves in the triumph as Tampa Bay set a club mark with its 26th road victory. Louis Domingue, who likely will get the start in net on Thursday, has lost just once in his last 13 starts and posted 20 victories this campaign - including a 38-save triumph in his season debut on Oct. 16 against Carolina.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), FS Carolinas

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (57-13-4): Kucherov has scored six goals in as many games to move within two of his third straight season with at least 39 and is one behind team leader Brayden Point (38). Captain Steven Stamkos tied Kucherov on Wednesday with his 37th goal and has notched six points in his last four contests to push his season total to 85 while Anthony Cirelli scored for the third time in five games. Defenseman Victor Hedman netted the winning tally 3:01 into overtime on Wednesday, giving him two goals and five assists during his six-game point streak.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (40-25-7): Williams has recorded five goals in nine games this month to push his total to 22 after scoring 16 times in his first season with Carolina in 2017-18. Sebastian Aho has managed just one point in his last four contests but leads the team with 78, while Teuvo Teravainen has registered five assists in as many games to increase his season total to a career-high 48. Petr Mrazek has been outstanding in net since Feb. 1, going 9-3-0 with a .935 save percentage.

OVERTIME

1. The Lightning went 3-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill against Washington, maintaining their league lead in both categories.

2. Carolina D Jaccob Slavin (six goals, 28 points, team-high 22:57 average ice time) is slated to play in his 300th NHL contest on Thursday.

3. Tampa Bay’s Anton Stralman and Dan Girardi both are out indefinitely with lower-body injuries while fellow D Cameron Gaunce was recalled from Syracuse of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Hurricanes 4, Lightning 2