RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes would like to play the Tampa Bay Lightning again at PNC Arena this season.
That would be in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That would be something to see, especially if it was like Saturday’s intense, hard-fought game.
The Canes and Lightning matched up for their final regular-season game at PNC Arena as the two Central Division leaders went at it. The Canes emerged with a 4-3 comeback victory before an announced crowd of 4,433, moving to within one point of the division leader.
Martin Necas, quickly becoming an emerging star in the league, was at his flashy best against the 2020 Stanley Cup champions. The winger had two goals and two assists, twice scoring on power plays and giving the Canes (23-7-3) the 4-3 lead at 16:07 of the third with a blast from the right circle.
Sebastian Aho had a goal and assist, and Cedric Paquette scored for the second straight game for Carolina.
The Canes took a 3-2 lead into the third but the Lightning (24-8-2) scored 22 seconds into the third to tie it on a Mathieu Joseph goal.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said this week that nothing seems to faze his team. It didn’t Saturday, even after the Lightning bolted to a 2-0 lead early in the first period on goals by Blake Coleman and Pat Maroon.
The Canes’ response? Necas had his goal and both assists in the second period as Carolina took a 3-2 lead. Paquette scored against his former team again and Aho scored his 15th of the season as the Canes were the better team much of the period.
Canes goalie James Reimer was beaten on a Coleman redirection and then allowed a soft goal to Maroon when he couldn’t glove a slow-moving puck in the crease.
