Coming off of yet another dominant win, the NY Rangers look like they’re in full control of the Metropolitan Division. But are they the best overall team in the Metro, or has another group taken the grand prize?
Okay, grand prize might be premature, so let’s rephrase that and ask whether they’re at least in the running for that grand prize as the best in the division. If you want the short answer, it’s that they deserve to be ranked in the top half of the Metro, so who are they currently contending with? Let’s find out.
8 - Carolina Hurricanes
Going into Friday, there just isn’t a valid sample size for the Hurricanes, a team that’s played in just two games so far this season. In those two games, they’ve scored five times and allowed six goals, so right now, they’re at the bottom of these rankings by default.
7 - Philadelphia Flyers
I’ve seen this one coming since July, and while I can still be wrong, the Flyers look like they’re in for a rough year. With bad goaltending and decent but nowhere decent enough scoring in the season’s early stages, Philadelphia looks like they’ll need a lean season or two before they start winning games again.
6 - Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 17 goals in four games, and they also played the Florida Panthers well. While I can’t see this team boasting anything close to a winning record or getting near the 0.500 mark in points eventually, they will grow and become a rather exciting young unit to keep tabs on.
5 - NY Islanders
I’m feeling like I’m watching reruns of the same boring syndicated TV series every time I see highlights of this team. The NY Islanders, for a while now, have been somewhere between average and good, but not good enough, and it’s because they can’t score. Until they figure out that portion of their game (it isn't happening), I’ll have a hard time giving them a respectable ranking as long as no one in the top four drops off.
4 - Washington Capitals
Another team with a small sample size, but the Capitals and everyone associated with them has got to feel a boost of confidence following a thrilling win vs. the Dallas Stars. But even if Washington can stay consistent, are they good enough to hang around with the top three teams on this list?
3 - Pittsburgh Penguins
Did the Penguins just remind everyone that they should still be a relevant team? Right now, the answer is a resounding ‘yes,’ but with a catch. They need to do something about Tristan Jarry, or else he’s going to end up costing them points. Other than the Jarry fiasco, the Pens look like one of the league’s better teams.
2 - New Jersey Devils
It’s no longer speculation that the Devils have turned the page from last season, and they’re currently the Rangers biggest challengers in the Metropolitan Division. Right now, the only question is how good will this team get when they reach midseason form?
1 - NY Rangers
The Devils seem to be running away with the division early, but when you adjust for games in hand, they’re really not ahead in the standings. But the Rangers, at this point, have yet to lose in 60 minutes and boast a plus-11 goal differential, more than giving them the edge as the Blueshirts cruised to yet another convincing win.