ELMONT, N.Y. — The Lightning ended the toughest part of their schedule — that much-discussed 11 games in 11 cities stretch that included contests across two countries and four different time zones — with a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon at UBS Arena.
The Lightning have struggled over this span, which included a pair of three-game losing streaks, but ended their latest four-game road trip with back-to-back wins. They return to Tampa for 12 of their final 17 regular-season games at home.
Tampa Bay knows the Islanders well, eliminating them the past two postseasons. And a Sunday afternoon full of hard hitting and jersey grabbing might have been a good tuneup for the physical play of the postseason.
