New York @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 29, 2019 ) Tampa Bay 1, NY Rangers 4

The Tampa Bay Lightning found some elements of their elusive top form in Sweden at the Global Series last weekend and hope to build off those two consistent efforts when they host the New York Rangers on Thursday for their first home game in 19 days. The Lightning edged Buffalo 3-2 in the first game, followed that up with a 5-3 triumph against the Sabres and will play five of the next seven contests on home ice.

“I think we definitely became tighter as a group this trip, and you kind of saw it on the ice with the way we played,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos told reporters. “If anything, I think we grew a little bit as a team on this trip, and maybe (it was) a little blessing in disguise going on the road for as long as we have.” The Lightning began their long trek with a 4-1 loss at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 29 against the Rangers, who have been a different team since while going 5-1-1. Rookie Kaapo Kakko scored twice, including the winner 2:36 into overtime, as New York defeated Pittsburgh 3-2 on Tuesday to earn at least a point for the eighth time in 10 contests. “Just talking to him, the way he walks around now, there’s just a whole new level of swagger to him that I hadn’t seen since he got here, not only on the ice but off the ice,” Rangers coach David Quinn said of Kakko, who has five goals in his last seven games. “There’s a comfort level he’s attaining, and you see it in his face.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet Ontario, TVA, MSG (New York), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE RANGERS (8-6-2): While the 18-year-old Kakko is raising his game, leading scorer Artemi Panarin (eight goals, 19 points) has hit the scoresheet in nine straight contests and fellow forward Pavel Buchnevich boasts six assists in his past four outings. New York has gotten plenty of production from its young defensemen during its revival as Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo each have at least a point in five straight contests and six total in that span. Center Mika Zibanejad (11 points, nine games) is closing on a return to the lineup after missing the past seven contests with an upper-body injury.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (8-5-2): Tampa Bay got a big boost from its energy line of Yanni Gourde, Cedric Paquette and Patrick Maroon in Sweden as the trio combined for four goals and nine points. “We all kind of play the same way, we find a way to get pucks,” Maroon told reporters. “We find ways to use the back of the net, we’re creative in a way that we are good at protecting pucks and not forcing plays, and we know how to attack the net.” Stamkos (398 career goals) has assists in his last three games and leads the team with 15 points while right wing Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk have 13.

OVERTIME

1. New York F Ryan Strome (16 points) has one shot in the last three games, but has posted three assists in that stretch.

2. Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman, who was injured in last month’s meeting in New York, had a goal and an assist in his native Sweden last weekend.

3. The Rangers are 6-for-15 on the power play over the last five games and the Lightning went 3-for-7 with the man advantage in Sweden.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Rangers 1