Summary
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: 0:00Welcome 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 37:39Signs of life from the Lightning power play 39:20Scott Sabourin's heavyweight fight 41:01Hoping 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.