Summary
The Tampa Bay Lightning return to action tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, and on today's episode of Lightning Power Lunch, Dave Mishkin and Greg Linnelli discuss the latest lineup news, including the return of Brandon Hagel and Victor Hedman, while Zemgus Girgensons remains sidelined. The guys break down what the 11-forward, 7-defenseman alignment means for Tampa Bay and why Dominic James gets another opportunity to establish himself in the lineup. Lightning reporter Ben Pierce joins the show to discuss James' development after returning from injury, why the organization remains confident in his future, and what he's seeing from the young forward as he works to regain the form he showed before last season's injury. Ben also shares insights from his recent feature on Nikita Kucherov, including conversations with Victor Hedman and Brayden Point about the newly crowned all-time leading scorer in franchise history. The conversation also dives into Tampa Bay's improving power play, why Charles-douard D'Astous believes a shooter's mentality has helped create recent success, and what still needs to improve on both special teams units. Plus, a look at Pontus Holmberg's surprising offensive production, Brayden Point's search for more goals, and why Conor Geekie continues to generate excitement among Lightning fans. Finally, Dave and Greg preview tonight's matchup with Winnipeg, discuss the Jets' recent struggles, the challenge posed by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, and examine why tonight could be another important measuring-stick game for Tampa Bay. Topics Discussed Brandon Hagel returns to the lineup Victor Hedman expected back against Winnipeg Zemgus Girgensons remains out Why the Lightning continue to favor 11 forwards and 7 defensemen Dominic James' development and opportunity Ben Pierce joins the show Nikita Kucherov's rise to franchise scoring leader Victor Hedman and Brayden Point on Kucherov's greatness Why Kucherov sees plays others don't Power play improvements over the last four games Charles-douard D'Astous on developing a shoot-first mentality What's still holding the penalty kill back Failed clearances and special teams execution Pontus Holmberg's surprising offensive impact Brayden Point's goal-scoring drought and confidence Conor Geekie's development and fan expectations Yanni Gourde's recovery timeline Winnipeg's recent losing streak Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor preview How the Lightning matched up against Winnipeg last season Faceoff battle and key matchups to watch Around the NHL: Dylan Larkin speculation and league headlines Subscribe for daily Tampa Bay Lightning coverage, game previews, postgame analysis, roster updates, prospect news, and exclusive interviews throughout the 2026-27 season. #TampaBayLightning #GoBolts #LightningPowerLunch #NikitaKucherov #BrandonHagel #VictorHedman #ConorGeekie #DominicJames #PontusHolmberg #BraydenPoint #MarkScheifele #KyleConnor #WinnipegJets #NHL #BoltsNationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.