With most NHL teams about to hit the 20-game mark, it’s time for some reflection and a review of how all 30 of the league’s clubs have fared thus far one quarter of the way through the 2016-17 season.
The first article in this series was the Pacific Divison, and up next is the Central Division coming tomorrow.
The NHL’s Metropolitan Division at the Quarter Mark
New York Rangers: 14-5-1, 29 Points, first in the Metropolitan
The first quarter of the 2016-17 season has been excellent for the New York Rangers. It’s no surprise they currently sit where they do in the standings. Their offense is explosive and consistent, defense is sound, and goaltending is not a problem. The Rangers offense sits at 81 goals scored, leading the entire NHL and leading the next-best team by 21. They have scored five or more goals in 10 games, going 9-1-0 in those contests and average an astounding 4.05 goals per game.
Offensive play comes from all four Rangers lines, with forward J.T. Miller tied with Kevin Hayes, leading the team in points with eighteen points. Michael Grabner (12 G, 4 A), Mats Zuccarello (7 G, 7 A), and Mika Zibanejad (5 G, 10 A) all have played outstanding so far and spearhead the offense. Rookies Jimmy Vesey (7 G, 5 A) and Pavel Buchnevich (4 G, 4 A) have been putting up sufficient points as well. Vesey has been extremely impressive in his play, being able to keep up with the high paced play of the NHL, a question that shadowed him as he joined the team this off-season out of Harvard University.
The Rangers defense can be regarded as their weakest area of play. While their 2.30 goals average against is not horrific, their defensive play is often risky and turnovers are present. The forwards offer help with strong play at the blue-line. As for goaltending, Henrik Lundqvist started out rather slow, but has since picked up his game, looking like the same old “King Henrik”. Lundqvist sits at 9-5-1 with a .918 save percentage with 2.27 GAA. Antti Raanta has been splendid thus far, posting a 5-0-0 record with a .938 save percentage and 2.05 GAA. A thing to note: special teams have been great this season so far for the Blueshirts. Their power-play currently sits at 21.7 percent, and their penalty kill at 85.5 percent.
– Noah Cirisoli, @theArkCirisoli
Pittsburgh Penguins: 11-5-3, 25 points, second in the Metropolitan
The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to a good start this season, with a record of 11-5-3. However, they still have a lot of work they need to put in before they can become a Stanley Cup-winning team like they were last year.
What’s given the Penguins their success so far this season has been their offense. They average 2.79 goals a game, which puts them ninth in the league. It’s no surprise that this offense is carried by Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin, who have 18, 17, and 16 points respectively. What gives Crosby an even more impressive start, is that he’s been able to rack up these 16 in only 13 games, where has his Malkin in 19. Crosby missed the first six games due to a concussion, but showed no signs of the injury when he came back. In his first two games of the season he had three points. In fact, he got a point in his first six games. He’s in for another 100-point season if he can keep it up; a feat he’s already accomplished five times.
However, they need to improve on the defensive side of the ice. They’ve had problems with their defense, and don’t seem to know who to play in net. Their defense has let their goalies down thus far. The Penguins have an average of 2.84 goals against a game, a stat that places them among the bottom ten in the league.
This isn’t because their goalies are underperforming, although some might argue that, but their defense hasn’t been performing well defensively. They’re an offensive-minded group, with only a few being able to perform in their own zone. Ian Cole and Justin Schultz are the best in the defensive zone, but they’re the third pairing. It would be smart for the Penguins to move these two up, and incorporate them in with the offensive-defensemen that take up the first two lines.
Even with the issues they have, the Penguins still have a good chance at making another run in the playoffs. However, they aren’t a Cup-winning team if they can’t improve on their defense. As they dive deeper in the season, teams will begin to realize that they just need to utilize their speed to beat the Pens defense.
– Gabriel Foley, @GabrielFoley20
Washington Capitals: 11-5-2, 24 points, third in the Metropolitan
The Washington Capitals aren’t exactly picking up where they left off at the end of the 2015-16 regular season, sitting third in the Metropolitan Division. The fact that they’re considered to be under performing and still solidly in a playoff spot a quarter of the way into the season is a positive note. However, if they want to go deeper into their chase for the Stanley Cup than they did last year, they need to find consistency and play sharper than what they have thus far in the 2016-17 season.
It’s an unsurprising statistic to see the likes of Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johansson, and T.J. Oshie at the top of the scoring list for the Capitals. Backstrom has himself five goals and 12 assists, Ovechkin has nine goals and four assists, Johansson has seven goals and six assists, and Oshie comes in to round it off with a solid eight goals and four assists. It goes without saying that the Capitals will rely heavily on these four throughout the remainder of the season, and the playoffs, to try and challenge again for the Stanley Cup and the Presidents’ Trophy as well.
Another name to note in players having a solid start to the season would be starting netminder Braden Holtby. Holtby is among the top five to ten goalies in every measurement so far this year, and that is less than surprising. Holtby has a 9-4-1 record on the season to go with his 1.99 GAA, and his even more impressive .927 save percentage. Holtby will be another name on which the Capitals will rely to come through in the clutch to challenge for the cup.
It goes without saying that the Capitals will likely challenge for the division title again this year, and likely the Eastern Conference as well. Whether or not they have the grit and longevity to make a deep run into the playoffs remains to be seen. Will they make the jump from being a phenomenal regular season team to a serious contender? Only time will tell.
–Nic Hendrickson, @RedArmyNic
Columbus Blue Jackets: 10-4-2, 22 points, fourth in the Metropolitan
The Columbus Blue Jackets are undoubtedly the surprise performers of the 2016-17 season to this point. The team that was supposed to challenge for the division and make the playoffs last year, seems to have shown up possibly a year later than expected. The Jackets are firing on all cylinders, quieting any concerns on the relatively inexperienced blue line and shoring up the special teams that had no potency in the 2015-16 season. Due to these two things, and the emergence of players like Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets are flirting with playoff hockey just a quarter of the way through the season.
There isn’t one single player that you could point to for the success of the young Blue Jackets organization, but the likes of Wennberg and Werenski have played pivotal roles in improved a bleak outlook at the start of the season. Wennberg came into the season with many people, mostly outside of Columbus, doubting whether or not he could really handle first-line-center minutes and actually produce at a reliable rate. He has countered this doubt with three goals, fourteen assists, and 10 points on the number one powerplay in the NHL (Columbus is at 31.1% on the powerplay as of 11/21/16). As for Werenski, he currently sits in the top five for rookie scoring… as a defenseman, and only 19 years old.
It’s hard to quell the optimism that has come from this hot start to the season, especially off the back of the 2015-16 season, but it’s safe to say that the Blue Jackets deserve all praises heading their way. It’s an even harder task to say whether or not they will sustain this momentum, especially given the possession stats floating around out there, into a playoff spot. It’s rather likely that they are still a year off being a playoff team and possible contender, but they sure will bring lots of joy and much to cheer for in the coming months.
– Nic Hendrickson, @RedArmyNic
New Jersey Devils: 9-5-3, 21 points, fifth in the Metropolitan
The New Jersey Devils have started the 2016-17 season with a better than anticipated 9-5-3 record and hold a wild card spot. Cory Schneider gives them a fighting chance night-in and night-out and his .923 save percentage (tied ninth) and 2.27 goals against average (tied tenth) rank in the top ten in the league (10-plus games started). He continues to showcase how good of a goalie he is and can be the man between the pipes to take the Devils through the playoffs.
The injury bug has hit them hard though having lost their top forward, Taylor Hall, for three weeks after meniscus surgery. He had found a new home with New Jersey and through fourteen games had registered twelve points and was the top-line forward this team desperately desired.
Arguably the best player for the team to start the season, a Devils veteran has stepped up in the first seventeen games as well. Travis Zajac has tallied ten points to start the season and will need to continue to produce for his team even after Hall returns in order to make the playoffs. The one player that has drastically struggled to start the season, however, has been Kyle Palmieri. After a 57-point, 30-goal season in 2015-16 he has managed to put the puck in the net only three times this season. He blossomed last year, but that success has quickly shriveled away and he’ll need to get back on track, and quick.
Every new season also brings surprises and the New Jersey Devils surprise this season, so far, has been defenceman Damon Severson. He had all of 21 points in 72 games last season, but has managed to record 12 already this season, tied for the team lead with Hall. At his current pace he’ll reach his last season point total before the New Year.
The New Jersey Devils have been a challenge on opposing goalies to begin the season, averaging 30.9 shots on goal per game. That’s good for eighth in the league, and a key factor behind the teams nine wins to start the season. Schneider is playing well and Hall will return shortly to give this team a spark. The Devils have all the components to compete in the Eastern Conference and it could come as no surprise to find them in a playoff spot at seasons end.
– Graham Anderson, @GHam614
Philadelphia Flyers: 8-8-3, 19 points, sixth in the Metropolitan
If you were to use one word to describe the Philadelphia Flyers a quarter into the season, inconsistency would be it. The team sits at 8-8-3 through their first 19 games. There have been very many ups and downs on which to speak. The Flyers have, without a doubt, seen struggles from their goaltenders. They’ve seen offensive production from their defense. The storylines go on and on.
The Flyers have seen production from most players in their lineup. Jakub Voracek has been among one of the best producers on the team. Coming off a season where there were plenty of struggles, Voracek has come out of the gate running. Through 19 games, he has seven goals and 10 assists, which leads the team. Travis Konecny has also found his game. The rookie has four goals and seven assists in his first season.
On the flip side, there are Flyers who have found it hard to produce early on in the season. There are six Flyers that have registered three or less points. For some, it is partly due to not being in the lineup. Of the six players, only two have played in all 19 games. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde, both have three points on the season. If the Flyers want to make a push at some point, they will need to start getting production from bottom-six players such as those two.
There are a few storylines in the early season for the Flyers. The goaltending for the team has not been up to standards for the most part. The team itself has also had their struggles during games that have led to breakdowns.
The production the Flyers have been able to get from their defense has been a welcomed surprise. The defense has produced with 13 goals and 42 assists. Mark Streit is fourth on the team with 11 points. The defenseman’s production is also among the best in the league.
As it stands right now, the Flyers find themselves just two points out of the wild card race. Most of the teams ahead of them have games in hand. For the Flyers, it will be necessary to get all players on the same page to go on a streak. The offense, defense, and goaltending have found trouble getting on the same page to win games.
With the division being close all around, any team has a chance to claim a spot at the top. For the Flyers, the team has to work out some kinks in their game to give themselves better opportunities to win games. If they’re able to do that, this team can make a run. And don’t forget the run they made last year.
– Ariel Melendez, @a_melendez10
Carolina Hurricanes: 7-6-4, 18 points, seventh in the Metropolitan
Roughly a quarter into the season, players can start to be judged as more than just a hot or cold start. For the Carolina Hurricanes, the best performer so far has been Victor Rask. Rask is tied for the team high in points alongside line-mate Jeff Skinner. Rask leads the team in goals, plus-minus, power-play goals, game-winning goals, and shooting percentage. Through his first two seasons, Rask has shown an increase in scoring and is continuing that pace in his third season. And at the ripe old age of 23, he has established himself as a legitimate first-line forward.
On the other end of the spectrum, Elias Lindholm has been the most disappointing Hurricane. Lindholm was taken in the first round in 2013 and expected to provide scoring as he developed. Through three seasons, the Swede has yet to eclipse 40 points and is having his worst season to date. Quickly approaching his 250th career game, it is a real question if Lindholm will ever reach the expectations that were set for him when he arrived. Unless something rapidly changes, Lindholm will be considered an underachiever and likely won’t become a top-six forward for any team, let alone Carolina.
The biggest surprise of this young season is the Hurricanes exceptional recent home stand. Before the start of their home stand on November 10, Carolina stood at 3-5-4 good for last place in the Eastern Conference. They dropped the first game to the Anaheim Ducks and things did not look good. Washington came to town next, and they would be followed by the San Jose Sharks, who reached last years Stanley Cup Final, and the Montreal Canadiens, who currently leads the league in points. In a make-or-break stretch, Carolina swept these three teams to secure a winning home stand. That was captured by defeating the Winnipeg Jets to close off a 4-1 home stand which featured some of the leagues best organizations.
After the successful home stand, Carolina finds themselves right back in playoff contention. Look for the team to build off this momentum and stay competitive. Cam Ward brushed off a poor start and is playing at his highest level. If Ward keeps up his level of play, the Canes are a tough team. Expect this young group to be in playoff contention for the entire season.
– Mitchell Jones, @CanesfanMI
New York Islanders: 5-8-4, 14 points, eighth in the Metropolitan
What can really be said about the New York Islanders? Other than, of course, that they have been a massive disappointment so far this season. Many experts were predicting the Isles to challenge, and likely secure, for one of the wild card spots come the end of the season. But judging off what they’ve shown to this point, that’s nothing short of a far-fetched fantasy.
The Islanders currently sit 24th in the league in goals for at a meager 42. This is not an impressive feat when considering that five of the six teams below them missed the playoffs last year and aren’t predicted make the playoffs again this year. This is the biggest factor in the faltering season that sees them sitting at the polar opposite of their Big Apple brothers. If they can’t turn things around in regards to putting the biscuit in the basket, don’t expect any playoff hockey in Brooklyn.
The other end of the ice spectrum was, ironically enough, the reason the 2015-16 New York Islanders were such a tough team to play against. They were a hard-hitting, hard-skating, gritty hockey team that won a vast majority of the battles on the boards. This is something that is sorely lacking this season as well. When you take into account that their main man between the pipes, Jaroslav Halak, is 3-5-4 on the season with a pathetic 3.08 GAA, and an even worse .908 save percentage, you’re likely not going to be looking at a winning hockey club.
In one sentence, don’t hold your breath on postseason hockey for the Islanders this year. And a piece of advice for any Islanders fans out there reading: keep a sharp eye on Nolan Patrick.
– Nic Hendrickson, @RedArmyNic
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