Advertise on podcast: Into The Blue - Tampa Bay Lightning

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. ⏱️ Timestamps0:00 – Welcome back to Season 4 of Into the Blue2:15 – Meet the hosts: Gabby & Ben catch up after the offseason4:20 – What's new this season? Listener feedback & behind-the-scenes plans7:05 – Benjamin Rautiainen loaned back to Finland and roster implications8:40 – Breaking down the Lightning's Opening Night roster11:40 – Victor Hedman's return and expectations for the season14:15 – The battle on the blue line: Why eight NHL defensemen creates tough decisions21:45 – The latest on Nikita Kucherov's contract situation25:00 – Plus/Minus returns26:00 – Eric Cernak's Lake Como wedding & Conor Geekie's engagement30:00 – Ben's summer plus: Buying a new home in Tampa33:00 – Gabby's summer plus: Celebrating her grandmother's 90th birthday35:00 – Ben's summer minus: The dreaded dentist appointment36:30 – Gabby's unbelievable missing dog story42:30 – 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.