Into The Blue - Tampa Bay Lightning

A historic week for the Tampa Bay Lightning takes center stage on this episode of Into The Blue as Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce react to Nikita Kucherov becoming the franchise's all-time points leader, passing Steven Stamkos with point No. 1,138. The duo breaks down the milestone, Kucherov's remarkable work ethic, his teammates' reactions, and some of their favorite highlights from his incredible career.

They also dive into the recent turnaround of the Lightning power play, discuss what's changed over the last four games, and look ahead to upcoming matchups against Winnipeg and Nashville. Plus, fan questions spark a conversation about the highly anticipated Hometown Remix jerseys, life on the road with the team, and memorable Kucherov moments.

To wrap things up, Gabby and Ben share stories from Coop's Catch for Kids, a behind-the-scenes visit with the Goncalves family, and another entertaining edition of Plus/Minus.

From franchise records to fan questions and a sneak peek at the Lightning's upcoming Hometown Remix look, this week's episode has a little bit of everything. Tune in for another behind-the-scenes look at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Into The Blue, presented by Penelope Bourbon

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The Tampa Bay Lightning head out on their longest road trip of the season, and there's plenty to discuss on this week's Into The Blue, presented by Penelope Bourbon.

Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce break down what the Lightning need to do to translate their dominant home success into wins on the road as the team prepares for matchups against Vegas, Colorado, and Utah. The duo also dives into Dominic James' impressive return to the lineup, his growing role within the organization, and why his speed continues to make an impact every time he steps on the ice.

Plus, Nikita Kucherov sits just four points away from becoming the franchise's all-time scoring leader, setting up what could be a historic week for the Lightning. Gabby and Ben also answer fan questions about Yanni Gourde's eventual return, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare's transition to player development, and wrap things up with Plus/Minus featuring new broadcast opportunities, travel challenges, and some very relatable packing struggles.

Timestamps

• 0:00 Welcome in & previewing the upcoming road trip
• 1:00 Why the Lightning need better road starts
• 5:26 Dominic James returns to the lineup
• 6:04 What makes Dominic James so effective
• 10:49 Where Dominic James can fit throughout the lineup
• 13:48 Nikita Kucherov closing in on franchise scoring history
• 15:02 Kucherov's recent play and postgame comments
• 17:40 Just how impressive Kucherov's numbers really are
• 21:12 Blue Line Mailbag begins
• 23:20 Where does Yanni Gourde fit when he returns?
• 33:54 Pierre-Édouard Bellemare's move behind the bench
• 39:35 Plus: Gabby hosts the Lightning broadcast
• 42:52 Plus: Ben's first appearance on the TV broadcast
• 47:00 Minus: Last-minute road trip packing
• 48:41 Minus: Surviving a week of late-night puck drops
• 50:15 Programming note for next week's episode
• 50:40 Final thoughts & Kucherov milestone watch

With Kucherov on the verge of history, Dominic James making a strong early impact, and a challenging road trip ahead, Gabby and Ben cover everything Lightning fans need to know on this week's episode of Into The Blue.

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Five games into the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning sit atop the Atlantic Division with a 4-1-0 record and winners of four straight. This week on Into The Blue, Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce discuss the players who have impressed them most through the opening stretch, including Pontus Holmberg and Ilya Mikheyev, while looking at what's fueling the Lightning's hot start.

The conversation then shifts to Nikita Kucherov's pursuit of the franchise scoring record, expectations for the rematch with the Rangers, and potential tweaks to a power play that is beginning to show signs of life. Plus, another edition of Blue Line Mailbag, insights into life aboard the team plane, Andrei Vasilevskiy's new cat-themed mask, and a breakdown of Scott Sabourin's memorable fight.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Welcome in & Lightning sitting atop the Atlantic Division
• 0:49 Most impressive Lightning player through five games
• 1:08 Why Ben picks Pontus Holmberg
• 3:29 Gabby's choice: Ilya Mikheyev's impact
• 5:53 Mikheyev's role on the penalty kill
• 7:58 Dominic James injury update and return timeline
• 9:20 Nikita Kucherov's pursuit of the franchise scoring record
• 14:39 Rangers rematch: What will be different this time?
• 19:46 Blue Line Mailbag begins
• 20:13 Power play discussion and potential lineup changes
• 30:08 Team plane food, snacks, and travel routines
• 34:41 Andrei Vasilevskiy's new goalie mask
• 37:39 Signs of life from the Lightning power play
• 39:20 Scott Sabourin's heavyweight fight
• 41:01 Hoping Kucherov's milestone happens at home
• 42:08 Closing thoughts and wrap-up

The Lightning are rolling, Kucherov is closing in on history, and the fan mailbag delivers another great set of questions. Tune in for a fun and insightful look inside the team on this week's episode of Into The Blue.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are 1-1 through two games, and on this week's Into The Blue, Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce break down the dramatic difference between Game 1 in New York and the impressive home-opening victory over Washington.

The duo discusses the team's renewed intensity, physical play, and commitment to winning battles, plus what Emil Lilleberg's injury means for the blue line as Max Crozier steps into the lineup. They also dive into the Lightning's much-improved power play, provide updates on Dominic James, answer fan questions, and take a look at several major milestones that could be approaching for Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, and others.

Plus, listener questions, behind-the-scenes stories from Blue Carpet arrivals, and another entertaining edition of Plus/Minus.

Topics:

Intro & Lightning's bounce-back win over Washington
What changed from Game 1 to Game 2? Intensity, physicality & winning battles
Emil Lilleberg's fight, injury update & timeline for return
Max Crozier enters the lineup and what he brings to the blue line
Dominic James injury update and potential return date
Breaking down the Lightning power play and why John Cooper liked what he saw
Blue Line Mailbag: Upcoming Lightning milestones and records to watch
Nikita Kucherov's pursuit of the franchise scoring record
Do Viel and Charle-Edouard D'Astous know each other from Rimouski?
Plus/Minus: First win of the season, Blue Carpet memories, sleep schedules & parenting challenges
Closing thoughts and wrap-up

Listen now as Gabby and Ben take you behind the scenes of the Tampa Bay Lightning season on another episode of Into The Blue, presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Season 4 of Into the Blue is officially underway!

Hosts Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce return to kick off another Tampa Bay Lightning season, catch up after the summer, and dive into the biggest storylines surrounding the team ahead of Opening Night. They discuss the roster decisions coming out of training camp, the crowded blue line battle, Nikita Kucherov's contract situation, and what stood out most from a highly competitive camp. Plus, the fan-favorite Plus/Minus segment returns with plenty of offseason stories, including weddings, engagements, new homes, a missing dog adventure, and more.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Welcome back to Season 4 of Into the Blue
2:15 – Meet the hosts: Gabby & Ben catch up after the offseason
4:20 – What's new this season? Listener feedback & behind-the-scenes plans
7:05 – Benjamin Rautiainen loaned back to Finland and roster implications
8:40 – Breaking down the Lightning's Opening Night roster
11:40 – Victor Hedman's return and expectations for the season
14:15 – The battle on the blue line: Why eight NHL defensemen creates tough decisions
21:45 – The latest on Nikita Kucherov's contract situation
25:00 – Plus/Minus returns
26:00 – Eric Cernak's Lake Como wedding & Conor Geekie's engagement
30:00 – Ben's summer plus: Buying a new home in Tampa
33:00 – Gabby's summer plus: Celebrating her grandmother's 90th birthday
35:00 – Ben's summer minus: The dreaded dentist appointment
36:30 – Gabby's unbelievable missing dog story
42:30 – Final thoughts and looking ahead to the new season

🎧 Subscribe, follow, and send in your questions for future episodes as Into the Blue brings you even more behind-the-scenes access throughout the 2026-27 Tampa Bay Lightning season

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Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce wrap up the Tampa Bay Lightning's season after their loss in Game 7 to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round. They discuss the team's performance this year, what the players had to say in exit interviews and they look ahead to next season's team and what changes might come to the roster. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce discuss how impactful Brandon Hagel has been in this first round playoff series vs. the Montreal Canadiens that is tied at 2 games apiece. Plus are the Tampa Bay Lightning taking too many penalties, Max Crozier's momentum changing hit and a look ahead to Game 5 that could see Charle-Édouard D'Astous return to the lineup. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce discuss the Tampa Bay Lightning playoff series vs. the Montreal Canadiens that they trail 1-0. They talk about the injuries to Charle-Édouard D'Astous and Dominic James, the physicality of the game and any potential lineup changes for Game 2. Into The Blue is presented Penelope Bourbon.

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Gabby Shirley and Ben Pierce discuss the Tampa Bay Lightning's possible playoff opponents and look at the final 2 regular season games. They talk about Lightning players up for awards, give their favorite moments of the season and their weekly +/- segment. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Ben Pierce and Gabby Shirley recap the Tampa Bay Lightning clinching a playoff berth for the 9th straight season, a look at Darren Raddysh's breakout season, previewing this final 4-game road trip, favorable playoff matchups and Darren Raddsyh's upcoming contract. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Ben Pierce is joined for former Tampa Bay Lightning captain and Stanley Cup Champion Dave Andreychuk to discuss the current run the team is on, looking ahead to the playoffs, the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the Bolts, 3 more games on this home stand, John Tortorella taking over in Vegas and which Lightning player plays the most like Dave. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporters Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks look back at the team's 3-0-1 road trip to the Pacific Northwest, Nikita Kucherov scores his first shorthanded goal and now leads the NHL in scoring, plus they look ahead to a 7-game homestand that starts on Tuesday night at Benchmark International Arena. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporters Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks preview the team's 4-game Pacific Northwest road trip that begins tomorrow night in Seattle, the injury bug continues to hit the team as Declan Carlile is now out 4-5 weeks and some milestones reached for Nikita Kucherov and Head Coach Jon Cooper. Plus your Blue Line questions and our +/- segment. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporters Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks on the team's 4-game road trip that just concluded with a wild 8-7 loss in Buffalo, Corey Perry returns to the team at the Trade Deadline and they look ahead to 3 home games this week. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporters Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks preview the Bolts 4-game road trip that begins on Tuesday night in Minnesota, look back at the Olympics with Julie's behind the scenes stories and they discuss what might happen at the Trade Deadline this week. Into The Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporter Ben Pierce on the Olympic Hockey Tournament that saw Team USA win the gold medal over Canada. Jake Guentzel gets gold while Brandon Hagel wins silver. Plus injury updates on Brayden Point, Emil Lilleberg, Charle-Eduoard D'Astous, Max Crozier, Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul. Now the Bolts attention turns towards the final 27 games which starts back up on Wednesday night vs. the Maple Leafs. Into the Blue is presented by Penelope Bourbon.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporter Ben Pierce on the Lightning's 5-game win streak heading into the Olympics break, Nikita Kucherov's scoring, the 9 Lightning players participating in the Olympics and what to expect with the Bolts return to action in a couple of weeks.

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Tampa Bay Lightning reporters Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks recap the crazy outdoor Stadium Series game last night at Raymond James Stadium that saw the Bolts overcome a 4-goal deficit to win in a shootout over the Boston Bruins. They discuss the event, the crowd and the goalie fight. Plus they look ahead to two division games this week before the Olympics break.

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Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks preview this week's Stadium Series game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, look at Nikita Kucherov's rise in the Art Ross Trophy standings and more injuries for the Bolts to deal with.

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Ben Pierce and Julie Stewart-Binks look back at the Lightning's current 13-game point streak that has them going 12-0-1. Plus some injury updates, the chemistry between Dominic James and Jake Guentzel and what the defense pairings might look like when guys return.

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