ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The wait is over. Opening Night has arrived for the Tampa Bay Lightning as they begin the 2026-27 season at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. On today's episode of Lightning Power Lunch, Dave Mishkin and Greg Linnelli break down the season opener, discuss the Lightning's lineup decisions, and examine what fans should watch for as the quest for another playoff run begins.
The guys discuss the final opening-night lineup, including Charle-Édouard D'Astous' role alongside Victor Hedman, Conor Geekie's opportunity on the third line, and why Ilya Mikheyev gets the first shot riding shotgun with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Plus, thoughts on Hedman's reduced power play role, his offseason weight loss transformation, and how the Lightning plan to utilize their newfound depth on defense.
Later, Alex Faust, radio voice of the New York Rangers, joins the show to discuss the Rangers' offseason overhaul, why Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pavel Dorofeyev, and several new additions could make New York a playoff contender, and what the Lightning can expect from a Rangers team eager to improve on last season's disappointing finish.
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Chapters
00:00 Opening Night excitement and Mish's unexpected broadcasting location at MSG
03:45 Expectations for the Lightning season and players to watch
06:40 Breaking down Tampa Bay's opening-night lineup
10:45 Charle-Édouard D'Astous with Victor Hedman and the defensive rotation
15:20 Managing the Lightning's blue-line depth over an 84-game season
19:40 Jon Cooper on Victor Hedman's reduced power-play role
23:10 Why Ilya Mikheyev starts with Point and Kucherov
24:55 Hedman's offseason weight loss and conditioning changes
28:15 Alex Faust joins the show
29:10 What to expect from the new-look Rangers
31:15 Challenges of integrating seven new players after a short camp
34:00 Mike Sullivan's system and New York's identity
36:45 Rookie defenseman Akira Schmid's impressive rise
40:15 Oliver Bjorkstrand's fit with the Rangers
44:35 What went wrong for New York last season?
48:10 Why Adam Fox remains the key to the Rangers' success
50:30 Metro Division outlook and playoff race
54:25 Lightning-Rangers matchup discussion and fan questions
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