TAMPA, Fla. — After watching from afar for the final two games of the first-round series against the Panthers, 22-year-old Islanders forward Ryan Strome got another chance.
Strome, who was 1-1-2 in Game 1, the first of four games before being a healthy scratch, started on the wing, with Brock Nelson and Shane Prince, in Wednesday night’s opener against the Lightning.
“He was sitting watching two important games,” head coach Jack Capuano said before the game at Amalie Arena. “It’s tough to make those decisions, based upon the matchups that you have at home. We need him to play with the pace he needs to play and the determination in his game.