The New York Islanders have arrived and are not going anywhere. The Islanders took full command of the Metropolitan Division as the Pittsburgh Penguins have been slumping. Meanwhile, the defending Eastern Conference Champion New York Rangers are resurgent and making fans believe in a repeat.
New York Islanders
Center John Tavares looks rejuvenated after missing the last half of last season because of a knee injury sustained in the Olympics. Tavares led the Isles with 21 goals and 24 assists to ignite one of the best and most exciting offenses in the NHL. The Islanders ranked second in the NHL for goal scoring while ranking third for shots against. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk has emerged as a top shelf blue liner with four goals, 18 assists and a +15. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak has stabilized the position and has demonstrated the ability to carry a large work load. Halak had four shutouts and was at his best in Metro Division rivalry matchups.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Center Sidney Crosby again led the Pens with 15 goals and 36 assists but has anyone else noticed that he looks a lot less dominant than in the past? Crosby has been very good, but no longer off the charts great. And that coincides with the Penguins recent stretch in which they lost six out of 10 games. After Kris Letang, the Pen shave a noticeable lack of quality blue line depth. The reasons for this team failing to advance in the playoffs the past several years are now becoming more apparent. There is simply not enough defense here for a serious title run.
New York Rangers
With Kevin Klein, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Dan Boyle, the Broadway Blueshirts have no lack of quality defense. Left wing Rick Nash is having a fantastic comeback season as his concussion issues have cleared up. Nash was again dominating after two frustrating seasons with 28 goals. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a .920 save percentage but was capable of more. The Rangers are looking more impressive than when they made the Stanley Cup Final last year.
Washington Capitals
First year had coach Barry Trotz has made an impressive impact as the Caps are looking much more complete and like a 200 foot full value playoff team. Left winger Alex Ovechkin has accepted a more responsible role under Trotz and has thrived with 25 goals. Better yet, The Great Eight had a +12. Defenseman John Carlson was a +14 with 27 assists. Center Niklas Backstrom was emerging as one of the best with 14 goals, 32 assists, and a +5. Goaltender Braden Holtby is now being taken seriously as a top tier netminder with a .923 save percentage and four shutouts. Trotz has built a team that could prove dangerous in the playoffs.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets character and grit must be commended as they have stayed in the playoff race despite being decimated all season with injuries. The 11-point spread between Columbus and the last playoff spot may be too much to overcome but, when healthy, this is a gritty team that is among the toughest outs in the game. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was recently locked up for a long term deal to solidify a promising future. Left wing Nick Foligno will serve as captain of Team Foligno for the All Star Game and led the Jackets with 18 goals.
Philadelphia Flyers
A disaster of a defense corps has not been able to cover for an offense that has slipped noticeably from last year. The Flyers ranked 18th in the NHL for goal scoring and 24th for goals against while ranking dead last for the penalty kill. This is a team going nowhere fast and may become active in the trade market.
New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes
The best offensive player on the Devils is 42-year-old Jaromir Jagr, which explains what the problem is for New Jersey. The other issue for New Jersey is that their defense has abandoned them, ranking 23rd for shots against.
Carolina was perking up with six wins in nine games but their lack of offense is even more of a problem than with the Devils. Carolina’s top scorer Eric Staal was mentioned as trade material but has voiced a desire not to leave.
