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.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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