W2W4: New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 1

1:38 PM ET

TAMPA — Puck drop for this Eastern Conference second-round series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders is set for 7 p.m. ET Wednesday night at Amalie Arena. Here’s what to watch for:

Rest vs. weary: While the Islanders were grinding it out against the Florida Panthers in the first round, which ended with a New York victory after back-to-back double-overtime finishes in Games 5 and 6, the Lightning were waiting, watching, resting and preparing for their next opponent. Tampa had five days off between games. When asked if the layoff benefitted his team, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, “Ask me after tonight’s game.”

The Islanders won their series Sunday night and then came directly here to prepare for the next round. New York coach Jack Capuano has been pleased with the team’s resiliency the entire season and that mindset won’t change. His message to his players about the quick turnaround? “No excuses.”

“We deserve to be here,” Capuano said. “Our team has battled through so much this year and I’m proud of the effort they put forth. . . the fact that we’re moving on, we should be excited. It doesn’t matter if the games are spread out, or if it’s back-to-back. Just the fact that we’re playing against a good Tampa team should give us enough excitement to continue to play.”

It could take the Lightning a period or two to get …

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