At 7 p. m. ET on Tuesday, blue jackets vs lightning arrives at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, where the Lightning return to home ice to kick off a three-game stand—and do it on Women in Sports Night. Inside the building, the focus is split between the night’s theme and a simple hockey task: Tampa Bay trying to earn its first win against Columbus this season.
In the hours before puck drop, the arena environment has two kinds of energy. One comes from the calendar—an event night that signals intention and community. The other comes from the matchup itself, with Tampa Bay entering the game 0-2-0 versus Columbus so far in 2025-26, making Tuesday’s meeting feel less like routine and more like an answer due.
What is at stake in Blue Jackets Vs Lightning on Women in Sports Night?
Women in Sports Night sets the stage, but the game carries its own pressure points. Tampa Bay will play its lone home game against Columbus on Tuesday, and the Lightning’s 0-2-0 mark against the Blue Jackets this season turns the night into a measuring stick inside a three-game home stand.
The matchup history offers context without guaranteeing anything. Tampa Bay holds a 35-17-2 record all-time versus Columbus, including 21-5-0 on home ice. Yet this season’s results have leaned the other way, and the Lightning will be trying to reverse that trend in front of a home crowd at Benchmark International Arena.
On offense, Tampa Bay’s season series production has been led by Jake Guentzel (2-2—4), Anthony Cirelli (2-2—4) and Nikita Kucherov (1-3—4). Those numbers underline where Tampa’s chances have come from, and where attention will naturally settle when the game tightens.
Who is expected to play, and what lineup questions remain?
Tampa Bay’s listed lines from Sunday’s game were noted as subject to change. The forward groups were: Jake Guentzel – Brayden Point – Pontus Holmberg; Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Nikita Kucherov; Oliver Bjorkstrand – Yanni Gourde – Zemgus Girgensons; Corey Perry – Conor Geekie – Scott Sabourin. On defense, the pairings listed were JJ Moser – Darren Raddysh; Ryan McDonagh – Charle-Edouard D’Astous; and a listing that included Erik Cernak with Victor Hedman, with Erik Cernak also appearing alongside Victor Hedman in the same set of notes.
In goal, the options listed were Jonas Johansson and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
For Columbus, the projected lineup was also labeled subject to change, with head coach Rick Bowness saying there may be other changes. The forward lines listed were: Mason Marchment – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko; Kent Johnson – Sean Monahan – Conor Garland; Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier; Isac Lundeström – Boone Jenner – Miles Wood.
Columbus scratches were listed as Danton Heinen, Egor Zamula, Dmitri Voronkov (healthy scratch), and Erik Gudbranson (injured). Separately, Erik Gudbranson was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body issue. Defenseman Brendan Smith was listed as out for the rest of the regular season after missing 25 games, with a lower-body designation and IR noted.
How can fans watch and listen to blue jackets vs lightning at 7 p. m. ET?
Broadcast and viewing options vary by listing. For the Lightning’s local coverage, the game was listed on The Spot – Tampa Bay 66 (check local listings), with radio coverage on 102. 5 MHz-FM and Lightning Radio 24/7, plus a stream option listed through the Lightning’s platform. Another viewing listing placed the game on + at 7 p. m. ET.
For Columbus viewers, the game was listed on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK, with radio on 97. 1 The Fan and Bob McElligott on play-by-play.
All of that adds up to a familiar modern sports reality: one game, multiple ways to find it, depending on location and subscription. For those inside Benchmark International Arena, though, the only channel that matters is the ice in front of them—where Tampa Bay tries to turn a themed night and a home stand opener into a season-series reset.
Which individual numbers shape the matchup—and what happens next?
Some statistics arrive like quiet stakes. Nikita Kucherov is Tampa Bay’s franchise career leader in scoring against Columbus with 15-36—51 in 31 games. The next active Bolt listed was Victor Hedman with 6-27—33 in 42 games. In net, Andrei Vasilevskiy’s career line against Columbus was listed as 17-4-0 with a. 927 save percentage and three shutouts. Jonas Johansson was noted as 0-2-0 against Columbus with an. 850 save percentage this season, and 1-3-2 with an. 860 save percentage over his career against the Blue Jackets.
From Columbus’ perspective, the all-time framing provided was stark: the Blue Jackets were listed as 18-33-1-2 all-time against Tampa Bay and 5-19-2 on the road against the Lightning. Yet Tuesday’s game arrives with Columbus holding 74 points and Tampa Bay 82 points in the same set of matchup notes, making the night feel less like a history lesson and more like a test of who can control the present.
After Tuesday, Tampa Bay’s road ahead was listed as Thursday, March 12 vs. Detroit Red Wings; Saturday, March 14 vs. Carolina Hurricanes; and Tuesday, March 17 at Seattle Kraken. The immediate task, though, remains singular: a home game, a themed night, and a chance to rewrite a season-series storyline that has not gone Tampa’s way so far in 2025-26.
Image caption (alt text): Fans gather inside Benchmark International Arena ahead of blue jackets vs lightning on Women in Sports Night.
