NHL Recap: Metro Division
The National Hockey League has stated that they do expect the season to resume at some point this summer. More and more it looks as if they will restart with the playoffs. Over the next week or so I will be recapping each division in the NHL and today we will be taking a look back at the Metro Division.
Washington Capitals
Straight-Up Record:41-28
Points:90
O/U:43-25-1
Stanley Cup Odds: 17/2(via Vegas Insider)
The Washington Capitals have had another solid season as they have gone 41-28 on the year and are in first place in the Metro Division. That is a familiar spot for them as the Caps came into the year having won the division the last five years in a row. Provided there will not be any regular-season games once the season is re-started, it will be six years in a row that they have won the Metro Division. It wouldn’t have been easy as Washington has just a one-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers and a four-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps did not go into the “Pause” playing well as they had just lost to the Sabres to give them a 5-10 mark over their last 15 games.
The offense has been among the best in the league this year but Washington did average just 2.80 gpg over their last 15 games. Despite that, the Caps are still ranked 2nd in the league in scoring, putting up 3.42 gpg while also ranking 17th in powerplay conversions at 19.4% and 11th in shots taken at 32.0 spg. This is an offense that never seems to have troubles scoring and they are hoping that the break will get them back to scoring plenty of goals as they were for much of the year. John Carlson leads the team in points with 75 while Alex Ovechkin is second with 67 and Nicklas Backstrom is 3rd with 54. On the goal-scoring front, Ovechkin leads the team with 48 while T.J. Oshie is 2nd with 26 and Jakub Vrana is 3rd with 25. The caps have seven players on their team with at least 15 goals.
The Caps have needed their offense to play well as they have not been that great on the other end of the ice. Washington enters this game ranked 18th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.07 gpg while also ranking 6th in penalty kill at 82.6% and 9th in shots allowed at 30.2 spg. Their offense combined with their play at the other end is the reason why Washington has gone 43-25-1 to the Over this year. Braden Holtby has been the main guy in the crease and he has gone 25-20 with a 3.11 GAA and a .897 save percentage. Those are not championship caliber numbers. Backing Holtby up has been Ilya Samsonov and he has played well, going 16-8 with a 2.55 GAA and a .913 GAA on the year. If the offense doesn’t get back on track in the playoffs, then we may see more of Samsonov.
Gambling Outlook: The Capitals are atop the Metro Division standings but the Flyers were hot in their tails and Washington was struggling before the ‘Pause”. Washington did win the Stanley Cup Title a couple of years back but in the last five years, they have also been knocked out in the 2nd round three times and the first round last year. The offense did sputter down the stretch but the break may help them get back on track at that end of the ice and with Holtby struggling some in the crease, the way to look in the playoffs may be the Over in Washington games. The Over is 43-25-1 in their games this year.
Philadelphia Flyers
Straight-Up Record:41-28
Points: 89
O/U: 37-30-2
Stanley Cup Odds: 12/1 (via Vegas Insider)
The “Pause” couldn’t have come at a worst time for the Philadelphia Flyers, who were rolling down the stretch. They did lose their last game to the Boston Bruin but Philly had won their previous nine games in a row to pull to within one point of the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metro Division. The Flyers have been to the postseason in alternating years over the last seven seasons and that trend will continue this year, as long as the season is restarted. This is a solid team that was playing very well at the right time and they hope that the break won’t stop their momentum.
The Flyers lost their last game by a score of 2-0 as the offense just couldn’t get going after they had averaged 4.42 gpg over their previous 14 games. The Philadelphia offense has been very solid all year, averaging 3.29 gpg, which is 7th in the league while also ranking 14th in powerplay conversions at 20.8% and 16th in shots taken at 31.4 spg. The Flyers have a balanced attack as nine players have scored 12 goals or more. They can beat you with many weapons and that would be key in the postseason. Leading the team in goals has been Travis Konecny, who has 24 while Kevin Hayes has 23 and Sean Couturier had 22. Leading the team in points has been Konecry with 61 while Couturier is 2nd with 59 and Jakub Voracek is 3rd with 56. If the Flyers can keep their offense rolling as it has been then they will be a viable threat in the playoffs.
The offense hasn’t been the only thing that has been rolling of late for the Flyers as they have been very strong at the other end of the ice of late. The Flyers have not allowed more than three goals in each of their last 10 games and they have allowed just 1.90 gpg over that stretch. A hot offense and great play in the crease will be a good combination in the playoffs. If Philly can keep it going that is. Carter Hart is a rising star and at just 21 years of age. He has gone 24-16 with a 2.42 GAA and a .914 save percentage on the year. He has allowed a total of 14 goals over his last eight games. Backing up Hart is Brian Elliott, who has gone 16-11 with a 2.87 GAA and a .899 save percentage on the year. Hart doesn’t have playoff experience but he should be fine while Elliott has played in 45 playoff games in his career. The Flyers have the stuff to make a surprising run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Philadelphia ranks 7th in the league in goals allowed at 2.77 gpg, 11th in penalty kill at 81.8% and 1st in shots allowed at 28.7 spg.
Gambling Outlook: The Flyers are a team to watch once NHL action resumes as they were on fire right before the “Pause” winning nine of their last 10 games. Their offense has been on fire of late, averaging 4.13 gpg over their last 15 games while allowing just 1.90 gpg over their last 10 games. Their play at both ends of the ice makes them a threat once the playoffs start. Philly has a balanced offense while Elliott and Hart give them a solid duo in the crease. I like their chance and they could be on their way to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Straight-Up Record: 40-29
Points: 86
O/U: 33-33-3
Stanley Cup Odds: 12/1 (via Vegas Insider)
Another year and it will be another playoff appearance for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Well, it will be if the NHL heads straight to the postseason after the break. Pittsburgh has a six-point lead over the New York Islanders, who are in the 9th slot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins appear headed to their 14th playoffs in a row and they have won the title three times over that stretch. Pittsburgh did not head into the “Pause” with a whole lot of momentum as they lost eight of their last 11 games. They are hoping the break will help them get back on track for a run at their 4th NHL Title in 14 years.
What has been amazing is that the Penguins have been hit by the injury bug in a huge way this year and for the most part, they kept on winning. Sidney Crosby missed 28 games, Jake Guentzel missed 30 games and is currently still out, and both Bryan Rust along with Evgeni Malkin missed 14 games. Despite missing that much offense this year, the Pens are still ranked 10th in the league in scoring at 3.20 gpg, 16th in powerplay conversions at 19.9% and 12th in shots taken at 31.9 spg. Pittsburgh is a team with excellent depth and they may get Guentzel back once the season resumes. Leading the team in points has been Malkin with 74 while Rust is 2nd with 56 and Crosby is 3rd with 47. Rust leads the team in goals with 27 while Malkin is 2nd with 25 and Guentzel is 3rd with 20. The Penguins did add Jason Zicker from Minnesota and he has 20 goals o the year overall, including six for the Pens, in just 15 games.
The play in the crease has been a bit above average this year as the Pens are ranked 12th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 2.84 gpg while also ranking 10th in penalty kill at 82.1% and 6th in shots allowed at 29.7%. The Pens did just allow two goals in their last game, which was a 5-2 win over the Devils but still, they have allowed 3.82 gpg over their last 11 games. Pittsburgh will need to get their act together at that end of the ice once the playoffs start. Matt Murray has played well for much of the year as he has gone 20-17 with a 2.87 GAA and a .899 GAA save percentage on the year. Murray does have good playoff experience and he has gone 28-19 with a 2.16 GAA in the NHL’s 2nd season in his career. Backing him up has been Tristan Jarry, who has gone 20-13 with a 2.43 GAA and a .921 save percentage on the year. The Penguins have a solid duo in the crease and that could be a key factor for them in the playoffs.
Gambling Outlook: The Penguins have been to the playoffs in each of the last 13 years and this will be 14 years in a row. They are a team with experience and they are also a team with plenty of depth. Pittsburgh has been hit hard by injuries for most of the year but they should be very healthy once the season resumes and that makes them a very dangerous team. The Pens are a team to always watch in the postseason and this year would be no different.
Carolina Hurricanes
Straight-Up Record: 38-30
Points: 81
O/U: 33-35-0
Stanley Cup Odds: 50/1 (via Vegas Insider)
If the season restart with just the playoff, the Carolina Hurricanes will benefit greatly from the “Pause”. Carolina went into the break with a three-game winning streak to move into a three-way tie for the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. The Canes, Blue Jackets and Maple leafs all have 81 points and all three will be in the postseason should the season resume in playoff-mode. It should be the 2nd year in a row that they will make the postseason after missing them the previous nine years in a row. The Canes needed their win streak right before the break as they had lost their previous four games in a row.
In their last game, Carolina topped Detroit on the road by a score of 5-2 and they have scored 14 goals in their last three games, after notching just seven goals over their previous four games. This offense has not been that bad this year as they are ranked 11th in the league in scoring, putting up 3.19 gpg while also ranking 8th in powerplay conversions at 22.3% and 3rd in shots taken at 33.3 spg. The Carolina offense did go into the break playing well and they hope that when things resume, it will continue to play well as it will need to if they hope to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Leading the team in goals has been Sebastian Aho, who has 38 while Andrei Svechnikov is second with 24 and Martin Necas is 3rd with 16. Leading the team in points is Aho with 66 while Teuvo Teravainen is second with 63 and Svechnikov is 3rd with 61. The Canes do have some weapons but they will need to play better in the postseason.
The Hurricanes have been decent at the other end of the ice as they have allowed just 2.84 GAA, which is 11th in the league. They also rank 4th in penalty kill at 84.0% and 2nd in shots allowed at 29.3 spg. They allowed a total of six goals in their last three games, after giving up 3.83 gpg over their previous six games. Petr Mrazek has been the main guy in the crease this year and he has gone 21-18 with a 2.69 GAA and a .905 save percentage on the year. He also has some playoff experience, going 4-6 with a 1.88 GAA in 10 playoff games. Backing him up has been James Reimer and he has gone 14-8 with a 2.66 GAA and a .914 save percentage on the year. Reimer also has some playoff experience, going just 3-4 with a 2.82 GAA in eight games. The Canes do have a solid duo on the crease and that could pay dividends in the postseason.
Gambling Outlook: It looks as if the Canes will sneak into the playoffs this year, once they begin. The offense went into the break playing well and it has been decent all year. The real key will be their play in the crease. Both Reimer and Mrazek are solid goalies and both have had good years. They also both have playoff experience and that could be key here. Carolina made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals and I feel they have the makeup of a team that could surprise some again. At the very least, they should get past the first round.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Straight-Up Record: 33-37
Points: 81
O/U: 27-42-1
Stanley Cup Odds: 60/1 (via Vegas Insider)
The Columbus Blue Jackets posted 33 wins on the year and they have just 22 losses in regulation. The problem for them has come in OT and shootouts as they have lost 15 games in those two periods. Still, they gained a point for each extra session and that has allowed them to put up 81 points and currently reside in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Should the regular season not resume then the Blue Jackets would be locked into playing the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. That will not be an easy task.
Columbus was not playing well down the stretch as they had lost 12 of their last 15 games and they were just 1-6 in either OT or a shootout over that stretch. Had they would a few of those games in the extra session, the Blue Jackets could have a higher seed than they have right now. The problem for the Jackets of late has been their offense which has averaged just 2.18 gpg over their last 17 games. That kind of offense would make it even tougher to beat the Bruins, who are tops in the league in goals allowed. Columbus is 28th in the league in scoring, putting up 2.57 gpg while also ranking 27th in powerplay conversions at 16.4% and 8th in the league in shots per game at 32.5%. Leading the team in points has been Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has 49 while Gustav Nyquist has 42 and Zach Werenski has 41.
At the other end of the Ice, the Blue Jackets have been solid as they are ranked 4th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.61 gpg on the year while also ranking 12th in penalty kill at 81.7% and 7th in shots allowed at 29.9 spg. Those are nice numbers overall but the Jackets have struggled between the pipes of late, allowing 3.54 gpg over their last 13 games. Those are not numbers that would give a team confidence heading into the postseason, especially with how bad the offense has been playing of late. Joonas Korpisalo has gone 19-17 with a 2.60 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 37 games played this year. Elvis Merzlikins has had a nice first year in the league going 13-17 with a 2.35 GAA and a .923 save percentage so far. The record is not great but his losses have been mostly the fault of the offense.
Gambling Outlook: The Blue Jackets were not playing well down the stretch as they have struggled at both ends of the ice. Columbus can’t score at the moment and that will not be good, especially since the Bruins have been the best team in the league in the crease so far and it looks as if Columbus will face them in the first round. The Jackets have also struggled at the other end of the ice of late and Boston can fill up the net with goals. Columbus will not make it past the first round and they may even get swept.
New York Islanders
Straight-Up Record: 35-33
Points: 80
O/U: 29-36-3
Stanley Cup Odds: 50/1 (via Vegas Insider)
It doesn’t seem fair. The Blue Jackets have gone 33-37 on the year and the New York Islanders have gone 35-33 and it looks as if the Isles will not be invited to the postseason party. The Islanders went into the pause just one point out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference and it does look like the league will start with the postseason once it resumes. It would be a tough pill to swallow for the Islanders, especially after having a decent season. The Islanders had a good shot at making the postseason but they lost their last seven games and 11 of their last 13 right before the break. It is that stretch that cost them a spot in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The problem for New York of late has been their offense, which has put up just 2.00 gpg over their last 13 games. The Islanders could have used much more offense down the stretch as they would probably be in position for a run at the Stanley Cup Title. The Islanders are ranked 22nd in the league in scoring, putting up 2.78 gpg while also ranking 24th in powerplay conversions at 17.3% and 28th in shots taken at 29.6 shots per game. Leading their attack this year has been Mathew Barzal, who has 60 points while Brock Nelson is 2nd with 54 and Anders Lee, along with Josh Bailey are both 3rd with 43. Leading the team in goals has been Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who both have 26 while Lee is 2nd with 20. The Islanders have a balanced offense with 10 players scoring 10 goals or more.
The Islanders have been led by their play at the other end of the ice. New York is ranked 9th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.79 gpg while also ranking 15th in penalty kill at 80.7% and 15th in shots allowed at 31.2 spg. The Islanders did struggle down the stretch, giving up 4.00 gpg over their last seven games, compared to allowing just 1.6 gpg in their previous five games. Semyon Varlamov has been the main guy in the crease, going 19-20 with a 2.62 GAA and a .914 save percentage on the year. Backing up has been Thomas Greiss and he has gone 16-13 with a 2.74 GAA and a .913 save percentage on the year.
Gambling Outlook: I really expect the season to resume with the playoffs and that will leave the islanders on the outside looking in. The Islanders have struggled to score and their play in the crease struggled down the stretch. New York lost their last seven games and that is the reason while they will be watching the playoffs from their own homes.
New York Rangers
Straight-Up Record: 37-33
Points: 79
O/U: 35-33-2
Stanley Cup Odds: 60/1 (via Vegas Insider)
The New York Rangers also struggled down the stretch as they have lost five of their last seven games and that was a killer, especially after they had won nine of their previous 10 games to get back in the race for a playoff spot. The Rangers are currently just two points out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference and it looks as if they will be missing the postseason for the 3rd year in a row, after reaching the postseason in their previous seven years in a row and 11 of their previous 12. The Rangers will now look to regroup.
The offense has been solid this year as they are ranked 5th in the league in scoring, putting up 3.33 gpg while also ranking 7th in powerplay conversions at 22.9% and 20th in shots taken at 31.1 spg. The offense was a bit worse down the stretch as the Rangers averaged 3.14 gpg in their last seven games after putting up 4.60 gpg over their previous five games. Leading the offense has been Artemi Panarin, who has 95 points while Mika Zibanejad is 2nd with 75 and Ryan Strome is 3rd with 59. Leading the team in goals has been Zibanejad with 41 while Panarin is 2nd with 32 and Chris Kreider is 3rd with 24. We do note that Panarin is tied for 3rd in the league in points while Zibanejad is 5th in the league in goals. The offense was very good this year but it just wasn’t good enough to get them into the postseason.
The reason while the Rangers will be staying at home for the postseason is due to their play at the other end of the ice. The Rangers did allow just 2.10 gpg during their 9-1 streak but then followed that up by allowing 4.14 gpg over their last seven games. On the year, the Rangers are ranked 23rd in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.14 gpg while also ranking 23rd in penalty kill at 77.4% and 30th in shots allowed at 34.0 spg. Henrik Lundqvist has not had a great year, going 10-15 with a 3.16 GAA and a .905 save percentage on the year in 30 games. Alexandar Georgiev had a mediocre season in going 17-16 with a 3.04 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 34 games on the year. Igor Shesterkin could be the future of the team after going 10-2 with a 2.52 GAA and a .932 save percentage in 12 games.
Gambling Outlook: The Rangers will miss the postseason as I expect that once the season restarts, it will be with the playoffs. Still, we do note that the Rangers were the top money-making team in the league at +1208. The Rangers have been a solid offensive team and one thing to look for is will they Igor Shesterkin up with the main roster once the season starts next year. Is it time for Henrik Lundqvist to move on? We shall see. If the Rangers can get their goaltending in order, then they could have a good shot at a playoff berth next year.
New Jersey Devils
Straight-Up Record: 28-41
Points: 68
O/U: 35-33-1
Stanley Cup Odds: NA (via Vegas Insider)
The New Jersey Devils have gone wire to wire in the basement of the Metro Division and they are 28-41 on the year with just 68 points. Even if the season resumes with regular-season games, they will not be able to make up the ground needed to get into the postseason. The devils will now be missing the postseason for the 2nd year in a row. The devils started the year by losing their first six games in a row and it just didn’t get better for them the rest of the way.
New Jersey did win six of their last 10 games but they still have now won more than three games in a row this year at all and they have won more than two games in a row just two times. New Jersey has been led by their offense which ranks 24th in the league in scoring at 2.68 gpg while also ranking 21st in powerplay conversions at 17.9% and 22nd in shots taken at 30.7 spg. Leading their attack was Kyle Palmieri, who led the team in both goals (25) and points (45). Second on the team in goals has been Nikita Gusevth 44 while 3rd is Nico Hischier with 36. Jesper Bratt is 2nd on the team in goals with 16 while 3rd is Hischier with 14. This is not a very good offense and just five players have notched 11 or more goals.
The real problem for the Devils is at the other end of the ice where they rank 28th in the league in goals allowed at 3.25 gpg, 7th in penalty kill at 82.3% and 26th in shots allowed at 32.7 spg. New Jersey just hasn’t had enough offense to make up for their struggles at this end of the ice. Mackenzie Blackwood has taken over as the top goalie on the team and he has not been that horrible going 22-22 with a 2.77 GAA and a .91 save percentage in 47 games played this year. The problem has come from the backup slot. Cory Schneider has gone 3-8 with a 3.53 GAA and a .887 save percentage in 17 games while Louis Domingue went 3-10 with a 3.79 GAA and a .882 GAA in 16 games before being shipped off to Vancouver. New Jersey will need to find a better backup next year.
Gambling Outlook: The New Jersey Devils had a tough time this year and in the offseason, they will be looking to add some solid offensive weapons and a much better backup goalie. Mackenzie Blackwood looks to be the goalie of the future for this team and it may be time for Cory Schneider to move on.
