DOUG WEIGHT ON THE LIGHTNING:
The Islanders coach weighed in on how his team has to play against the Lightning's potent top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov. As the road team, the Islanders don't get the last change, so he can't always get the matchups he wants. Weight said it'll be a collective effort to stop the high-flying Lightning, who lead the league in wins (15), points (32) and goals-per-game (4.00).
"Everyone has to be able to step up and play," Weight said. "The key is knowing when you're out against certain players. You definitely have to change some things and change your mindset when you're on the ice against Steven and that line."
The Islanders are second in the NHL averaging 3.61 goals-per-game, so they are up there with the Lightning in terms of scoring. Weight said his team is confident in their ability to beat good teams on the road after racking up wins over the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.
"You learn that no one is unbeatable," Weight said. "I think we've played some pretty good road games. We've had some good efforts in Washington and Anaheim where we fell short, but felt we deserved a little better fate. We're a confident team. We're a confident team on the road and we know it's a tough test and we know it's a tough building."
