The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the hotter teams in the Eastern Conference, and they will get a test Wednesday night from the best road team in the NHL by hosting the New York Rangers.

Sporting a modest two-game winning streak but a 7-1-0 mark in their past eight matches, the Lightning will be squaring off against the Metropolitan Division club in the first of three meetings, which includes the regular-season finale on April 15.

Coach Jon Cooper's group is playing like it does not want that mid-April matchup to be its final one of the campaign.

After posting a 2-1-0 record in its three-game road swing last week, the Lightning returned home and worked a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.

Brandon Hagel scored the game-winner late in that one, and the streaky forward

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