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Raw Charge

https://www.rawcharge.com/ | 71 entries published

The static cling that brings Tampa Bay Lightning fans together.

Latest Entries

Lightning recall intriguing prospect as injuries continue to plague roster

While everyone, and by everyone, we mean us, was worried about the health of a couple of forwards, it turns out that the big blow to the roster will hit an already stitched together blue line for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yes, Brayden Point is likely to miss a game or three, but Nikita Kucherov appears to be healthy enough to play. So, the Lightning are, for the most part, okay up front. Unfortunately, it appears they will be without the services of Erik Cernak for the foreseeable future, as th...

NHL

17 days ago | 0 reads

Another day, another injury: Flyers at Lightning Preview

Game Twenty-Two: Philadelphia Flyers (11-6-3) at Tampa Bay Lightning (12-7-2) Time: 7:00 PM EST Location: Benchmark International Arena, on the shores of Garrison Channel TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, NBCSP ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App Odds: Lightning -175 Know the Opponents: Broad Street Hockey First things first. It looks like Nikita Kucherov will play tonight for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Hockey Fights Cancer Night game against the Philadelphia Flyers. So that’s...

17 days ago | 2 reads

The trickle down effect of the injuries to Kucherov and Point

The Tampa Bay Lightning may have won their last two matches against the Washington Capitals, but they are happy that they don’t see them on the schedule for the rest of the regular season. On November 8th they beat the Caps, 3-2 , but lost Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman, and Dominic James. Hedman and McDonagh haven’t played since. Then, on Saturday, the Lightning won, 5-3 , but it cost them Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. As of publication of this post, the status of Point and Kucherov i...

18 days ago | 1 read

Lightning score early, hold on late to beat Capitals, 5-3

C’mon. You didn’t think this would be easy now did you? Even after the 4-1 lead in the first period? This is the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals. Nothing is easy. Especially in D.C. where the Lightning seemingly win once every administration. Heading into the night they had a whopping 18 wins in 62 trips to Capital One Arena. So, even with the big early lead, you knew it was going to be an interesting finish. Sure enough, the Capitals clawed back to within a goal early in the ...

19 days ago | 2 reads

Preview: Lightning defense will be tested by red-hot Capitals offense

Game Twenty-One: Tampa Bay Lightning (11-7-2) at Washington Capitals (11-8-2) Time: 7:00 PM EST Location: Capital One Arena, The Nation’s Capital TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, MNMT, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App Odds: Lightning +100 Know the Opponents: J apers’ Rink Two weeks ago, these two teams faced off in Tampa with the Lightning pulling off the 3-2 overtime win in a game where everyone got hurt. Okay, not everyone, but Ryan McDonagh blocked a shot and hasn’t pl...

19 days ago | 2 reads

Jake Guentzel’s overtime winner pushes Lightning past Oilers, 2-1

Well now. Welcome back, Nick Paul. The Tampa Bay Lightning forward punctuated his first game of the season with a game-tying goal with 2:32 to go in the game. That set the table for Jake Guentzel’s overtime winner on a wake-the-neighbors sequence of plays that started with Andrei Vasilevskiy literally saving the game with a desperation left-pad save and ended with Darren Raddysh’s perfect geed to Guentzel on a two-on-one break the other way. Paul was in the line-up after missing the ...

21 days ago | 2 reads

Nick Paul set to make season debut against Edmonton Oilers

Based on a few coincidental factors it appears that Nick Paul is going to be back in the Tampa Bay Lightning line-up tonight as they face the Edmonton Oilers. First off, the Lightning re-assigned Scott Sabourin to Syracuse yesterday, indicating that yet another forward was healthy following the return of Anthony Cirelli and Dominic James. Second, at the morning skate, Paul led the stretching from the center of the ice, an unofficial position of honor usually reserved for players getting called...

21 days ago | 2 reads

The Connor McDavid Show is here: Oilers at Lightning Preview

Game Twenty: Edmonton Oilers (9-9-4) at Tampa Bay Lightning (10-7-2) Time: 7:30 PM EST Location: Benchmark International Arena, Located in Pete Alonso’s hometown TV/Stream/Radio: ESPN+, Hulu, SN, 102.5 FM, Lightning App (audio) Odds: Lightning -162 Know the Opponents: Oil on Whyte What sweet sorcery is this? A rested Tampa Bay Lightning team gets to face a team that played last night? Usually, it’s the other way around, or at least that’s what it seems like. Yes, ...

21 days ago | 4 reads

Guentzel’s hat trick powers Lightning past Devils, 5-1

Jake Guentzel had a hat trick, Darren Raddysh had a three-point night, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31-of-32 shots on the night. Those were the ingredients needed for the Tampa Bay Lightning to snap their two-game home losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The dormant Lightning power play was sharp, converting 2-of-3 chances The Lightning faithful were treated to the return of a couple of forwards as Dominic James and Anthony Cirelli were in the starting line-up. ...

23 days ago | 2 reads

Healthy? It’s all relative: Devils at Lightning preview

Game Nineteen: New Jersey Devils (13-4-1) at Tampa Bay Lightning (9-7-2) Time: 7:00 PM EST Location: Benchmark International Arena, Where Kurt Angle beat The Undertaker for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 2000 TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, SN, NHLN, MSGSN, 102.5 FM, Lightning App Odds: Lightning -170 Know the Opponents: All About the Jersey Another night and another battle between two teams not featuring their very best. It’s the third game in a row where the...

23 days ago | 0 reads

Lightning recall two defensemen as injury woes linger

It seemed like things were moving in the right direction in regards to the injury situation for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jakob Pelletier returned to Syracuse on Sunday after his one-game replacement of Brandon Hagel. Boris Katchouk followed on Monday, an indication that one of their forwards is ready to come back as well. Prior to their game against the New Jersey Devils, the team made a move that would indicate that the busiest place in the building is still the trainers’ room. The team ...

23 days ago | 1 read

2025 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 25 Under 25: #6 Dylan Duke

It’s only a matter of time until Dylan Duke is playing hockey for the Tampa Bay Lightning on a regular basis. Name Dylan Duke Position Center/Forward Age (as of October 1) 22 Height/Weight 5’10”, 176 lbs. Expected 2025-26 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2021, 4th Round (126) Previous Rankings 23rd ( 2021 ), 14th ( 2022 ), 7th ( 2023 ), 7th ( 2024 ) JustinG.’s Ranking 8 Final Rank 6 Stats: Our Thoughts: During their recent run of injuries, the Tampa Bay Li...

24 days ago | 0 reads

Lightning re-assign Boris Katchouk as injured players return to practice

The Tampa Bay Lightning were back on the ice for practice on Monday following their disappointing loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Well, most of the Lightning were. Boris Katchouk wasn’t there as the team re-assigned him to the Syracuse Crunch. While that’s an unfortunate hit to the 27-year-old’s bank account (his AHL salary is $250,000 compared to his $775,000 NHL salary) it is a good sign that the Lightning are starting to get healthy. Katchouk appeared in three games during his...

24 days ago | 0 reads

Lightning get what they deserve in 6-2 loss to Canucks

Where were you on October 11, 2018? If you were in what was then known as Amalie Arena, you would have witnessed the last Vancouver Canucks win in Tampa. Four third-period goals led them to a victory that day , and just over seven years later, another third=period outburst would propel them a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. A night after the Lightning used a strong third period to defeat the Florida Panthers, a three-goal outburst in under two minutes flipped a 2-1 lead into a 4-2 de...

25 days ago | 0 reads

Back to work: Canucks at Lightning preview

Game Eighteen: Vancouver Canucks (8-9-2) at Tampa Bay Lightning Time: 5:00 PM EST Location: Benchmark International Arena, once known as the Ice Palace TV/Stream/Radio: Scripps, SNP, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App Odds: Lightning -175 Know the Opponents: The Canuck Way Less than 24 hours after beating the Florida Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning are back on the ice to take on a rested Vancouver Canucks. At least they’ll be doing it on home ice. After the emotiona...

25 days ago | 0 reads

Jack Finley’s first NHL game is the difference in Lightning’s 3-1 win over Panthers

Emil Lilleberg. Jack Finley. Zemgus Girgensons. Not exactly where anyone expected the Tampa Bay Lightning’s offense to come from in their 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers, but with several regulars sidelined with injuries, it was the depth players that stepped up. FInley’s breakaway goal in the third period proved to be the game-winner as Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22-of-23 shots to pick up the win. It was a pretty tame start for the two teams, even if Coach Cooper had Scott Sabourin on ...

26 days ago | 1 read

It might not be good hockey, but it will be interesting hockey: Lightning at Panthers Preview

Game Seventeen: Tampa Bay Lightning (8-6-2) at Florida Panthers (9-7-1) Time: 5:00 PM EST Location: Amerant Bank Arena, The Outskirts of Miami TV/Stream/Radio: Scripps, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App Odds: Lightning +114 Know the Opponents: Litter Box Cats This is about the time of the season where we like to start looking at some of the underlying stats (scoring chances, high-danger chances, etc.) to get an idea of what kind of season the Tampa Bay Lightning are ...

26 days ago | 0 reads

Tampa Bay Lightning recall Jakob Pelletier

Well, if nothing else, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s recent run of injuries is giving fans a chance to see some new players at the NHL level. Prior to their game against the Florida Panthers, the team announced yet another recall as forward Jakob Pelletier was brought up from the Syracuse Crunch. If Pelletier is in the line-up tonight, he will become the sixth player to make his Lightning debut this season, and they haven’t cracked the 20-game mark yet. The 24-year-old Pelletier was signed to...

26 days ago | 3 reads

Lightning lose to Rangers, 7-3

Could we go into a long detailed discussion about how the Tampa Bay Lightning lost this game to the New York Rangers, 7-3 ? Sure, but that would make us sad, and y’all angry (again). So let’s let one of our commenters sum up the game: Yup, that pretty much wraps things up in regards to how we feel about this game. The Lightning did not play well. Yes, they had some bad bounces, but the mistakes leading up to those bounces were, for the most part, unforced. They had worked hard over t...

29 days ago | 3 reads

Lightning recall Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin

The reinforcements have arrived. With the Tampa Bay Lightning ailing a bit, the team recalled a couple of veterans from the Syracuse Crunch. Forwards Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin caught the plane ride down from the bitter cold to the chilly, but much nicer Tampa weather to help bolster a squad that is a little down right now. With Dominic James definitely missing tonight’s action, and Pontus Holmberg probably out as well, the Bolts needed to add some depth to their bottom-six. Ryan M...

29 days ago | 4 reads

All hands on deck: Rangers at Lightning Preview

Game Sixteen: New York Rangers (8-7-2) at Tampa Bay Lightning (8-5-2) Time: 7:00 PM EST Location: Benchmark International Arena, Home of the Three-time Stanley Cup Champions TV/Stream/Radio: TNT, HBOMax, 102.5 FM Odds: Lightning -148 Know the Opponents: Blue Line Station Well, tonight should definitely be a good night for program sales. “Get your programs! Can’t tell who is on the ice without your programs!” We miss those days. Anyway, the Tampa Bay Lightning are ...

29 days ago | 4 reads

Ryan McDonagh, Dominic James placed on injured reserve by Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a win in their last outing, downing the Washington Capitals, 3-2, but it has proven to be a costly one as at least two of their key players suffered injuries that have reportedly landed them on injured reserve. Ryan McDonagh, who blocked a shot at the end of the first period, and Dominic James, who took a puck to the upper cheek area, will be out of action for at least one game. After practice Coach Jon Cooper let reporters know that McDonagh would be “ou...

30 days ago | 4 reads

Lightning prospect suspended for three games

In the Tampa Bay Lightning’s most recent draft class, there seemed to be a slightly more focused effort on bringing a bit more truculence into the organization. Ethan Czata, their second round pick, is a skilled forward that has a bit of an edge to his game. The same goes for one of their seventh-round picks from the 2025 draft, Grant Spada. Unfortunately, players that rely on physicality often cross the line, and that happened to the 6’5″ defenseman as he earned a three-game suspension from t...

about 1 month ago | 4 reads

2025 Tampa Bay Lightning Top 25 Under 25: #7 Ethan Gauthier

Despite a solid final season in juniors, Ethan Gauthier dropped a few notches in this season’s rankings. Name Ethan Gauthier Position Right Wing Age (as of October 1) 20 Height/Weight 6’0″, 183 lbs. Expected 2024-25 Team Syracuse Crunch Draft – Year, Round 2023 Round 2 (37th overall) Previous Rankings 4th ( 2023 ), 5th ( 2024 ) JustinG. Ranking 7 Final Rank 7 Stats: Our Thoughts: Honestly, it’s hard to believe that Ethan Gauthier is only 20-years-old. It feels lik...

about 1 month ago | 3 reads