Game 68 Penguins at Hurricanes: Preview, How to Watch, Game Thread

Mar 10, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) stops the shot attempt by Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images Sometimes when you look at a schedule and see five games in seven days, the first one against a division opponent that is fighting for its playoff life, and you’re comfortably ahead in the division, you just decide that it’s time to make sure no one gets hurt. in their 5-1 loss to Columbus last night, there were stretches where it looked like the Canes would continue to be the team that showed up in Tampa on Saturday Night.

Then Seth Jarvis accidentally got a double minor, Columbus scored, and the rest of the first looked like the Canes were just done. It took a Nicolas Deslauriers fight in the second period to wake the Hurricanes up to the point that they got back to within one. Then the refs missed a trip on Brandon Bussi, Columbus scored twice in 40 seconds, and the Canes retreated back into “just don’t get hurt.

” It happens. There are fifteen games left in the regular season, guys are banged up—you’re still missing Shayne Gostisbehere—and your opponent tonight watched this game from their hotel in Raleigh. You move on.

Of course that schedule quirk isn’t just that the Canes have to play five games in seven days, they also are playing an opponent that they just faced last week in Pittsburgh. The stakes of this game are vastly different as a win would put the Canes nine points up on the Penguins with thirteen games left for both squads, and while the two will meet again this Sunday—Good Lord, NHL, really? —a win would go a long way in where the two teams will focus their attention the rest of the regular season.