Jason Linkes
57 episodes listed below
Bolts talk between the shifts.
Backchecking the Bolts tracks the Tampa Bay Lightning with a beat-writer feel and a fan’s eye for the details that swing games. Recent episodes move from Carolina breakdowns and Montreal playoff previews to injury updates, goalie decisions, special teams, and the Eastern Conference race.
PRESS PLAY
Backchecking the Bolts is a Tampa Bay Lightning show with its skates on the current schedule. It lives in the stretch between one result and the next matchup. A loss to Carolina becomes a conversation about slow starts, defensive structure, and whether Tampa can keep pace when an opponent imposes its style. A win over Pittsburgh opens into Boston, road-trip management, goaltender usage, and injury timing. The show is brisk but not shallow. Jason Linkus tends to frame the questions, while Justin Godfrey brings a Raw Charge lens to why a line, pairing, or coaching choice matters. The playoff race gives many episodes their shape. Montreal gets special attention, from Marty St. Louis’s perspective to the Canadiens’ youth, momentum, and defensive vulnerabilities. Boston, Buffalo, Ottawa, Detroit, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Carolina are not treated as generic opponents. They are evaluated through speed, size, forecheck pressure, goaltending, schedule strain, and how Tampa Bay matches up on a given night. Injury talk is a regular thread. Victor Hedman’s status, Erik Cernak, Ryan McDonagh, Darren Raddysh, Braden Point, Andrei Vasilevsky, and Jonas Johansson all become part of the larger question of what the Lightning can safely rely on. The show also enjoys the sport’s odd corners. There are references to old Lightning sweater numbers, plus-minus trivia, Corey Perry’s long playoff trail, and Dyngus Day in Buffalo. Those moments keep the conversation loose. The analysis still comes back to practical hockey. Special teams, home ice, back-to-backs, goalie splits, playoff experience, and first-round scars are recurring pressure points. Guests such as Jared Book, Jackie Spiegel, and Hardev Ladd add outside scouting when another market matters to Tampa’s path. The result is regional team coverage with enough league context to make the next game feel connected to the whole Eastern Conference picture.
Made for: Built for Tampa Bay Lightning followers who already know the roster and want clear, current reads on games, injuries, matchups, and playoff positioning.
What sets it apart: The show pairs local Lightning focus with opponent-specific context, especially when guests can explain what Tampa is really facing beyond the standings.
Backchecking the Bolts is your cup of coffee to get you the latest on the Tampa Bay Lightning. We’re breaking down the Lightning’s most recent games and telling you what the box scores didn’t tell you. From tactical breakdowns to player impact, it’s time to look beyond the highlights with host Jason Linkes and the managing editor of Raw Charge (www.rawcharge.com) Justin Godfrey.Please visit our YouTube Channel:www.youtube.com/@BackcheckingtheBoltsFollow Backchecking the Bolts on the following platforms. RawCharge: www.rawcharge.com Twitter: Tampa_Bolts_Pod Instagram: Backchecking_the_Bolts Facebook: Backchecking the Bolts Email...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Backchecking the Bolts makes Tampa Bay's lineup choices, playoff matchups and game-to-game form easier to read.
Backchecking the Bolts turns Tampa Bay Lightning results into questions about how the team is actually functioning. Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey move from game recaps to matchup previews with close attention to defensive pairings, goaltending choices, special-teams personnel…
The 6-3 Pittsburgh win has you celebrating; Jason Linkes and Justin Godfrey have you sizing up Boston.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A Lightning recap opens into a focused, hockey-native look at East goaltending and the Flyers.
Back Checking the Bolts opens with a Lightning recap, then moves into the Flyers and the kind of East goaltending that can decide a series. The hosts stay close to recent games, and Jackie Spiegel adds useful beat-writer context when the discussion turns from the New York…
A clean playoff preview centered on Tampa Bay's experience, Montreal's youth, and home ice.
This review stays close to the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning matchup, with Jason Linkus, Justin Godfrey, and Jarrett Book keeping the focus on the series itself.
A steady Lightning breakdown that covers recent games, the playoff picture, and Hedman's still-unclear status.
Back Checking the Bolts stays focused on the Lightning's recent games, the Bolts-Canadians matchup, and Victor Hedman's status. Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey talk through power-play choices, lineup fit, and Tampa's playoff outlook without getting lost in the box score.
A brisk Lightning recap that uses Buffalo and Ottawa to frame what comes next.
The segment moves quickly from a Lightning recap into Buffalo and Ottawa, with Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey keeping the hockey talk loose and easy to follow. It stays close to the recent games and the schedule ahead, which gives it a clear shape without overworking the point.
A focused Lightning update that ties the 6-3 win to the Bruins preview and injury picture.
Backchecking the Bolts turns the Lightning's 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins into something bigger than a scoreboard check. It keeps moving, too, with a preview of Saturday's 5 o'clock tilt against the Boston Bruins, an interview with Hardev Ladd from the Pension Plan…
Daily Canucks panic with receipts.
Buffalo hockey, argued daily.
Flyers wins, losses, and reality checks.
Backchecking the Bolts previews Tampa Bay's 2026-27 season through training-camp decisions, roster depth, and three priorities for success.
Back Checking the Bolts opens on a Lightning recap from the Rangers game.
Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey open with a playoff preview centered on the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Bolts are coming off a recent win, and Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey widen the lens to the playoff matchup with the Canadiens and the roster questions hanging over Tampa Bay, while staying focused on what the box score leaves out.
A recap of the Lightning's recent games against the Canadiens and Bruins, a playoff race update, and a preview of the upcoming game against the Red Wings.
Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey recap the Lightning's two-game losing streak against the Sabres and Senators, preview the upcoming game against the Canadiens, and discuss injuries and playoff implications.
Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey open with the Bruins on a four-game road trip and a tough Lightning matchup, then use that to dig into what Tampa Bay still needs as the season winds down.
Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey open with Tampa Bay's 6-3 win over Pittsburgh.
Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey break down the Lightning's 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes and preview the upcoming game against the Kraken.
Hosts Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey discuss the NHL trade deadline, recap the Lightning's weekend games against Toronto and Buffalo, and share a personal anecdote about the Kumquat Festival.
Hosts Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey recap recent Lightning losses, preview upcoming games, and discuss NHL trade deadline moves.
A hockey podcast previewing the Tampa Bay Lightning's upcoming games against the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets, while analyzing the Western Conference landscape ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
Jason Linkus and Justin Godfrey preview the Lightning's upcoming game against the Buffalo Sabers and discuss which Atlantic Division teams are buyers or sellers at the NHL trade deadline.