While the Islanders surge, their archrivals struggle. The Rangers tumble to last place in the Metro, igniting early-season drama.
The New York Islanders got off to a 0-3-0 start but have rebounded over their last five games, going 4-0-1 as they seem to be evolving as a team despite a 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers their last time out.
They currently sit in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, a place that they should hover around, if not get above, this season based on what we've seen so far.
Let's take a look at how the rest of the Metropolitan Division looks in the early going.
Their archrivals, the New York Rangers, got off to a shocking start. They were shut out three times in their first three games at Madison Square Garden, but sat at 3-3-1 through seven games.
However, their last two losses have been rough, falling 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild at home before allowing the San Jose Sharks to notch their first win of the season in a 6-5 overtime loss on Thursday...in their building.
The Rangers are now 3-5-2, which statistically has them in last place in the Metropolitan Division.
In the early goings, it seems like the Metro is going to run through the New Jersey Devils, who have won eight straight games after dropping their season opener to sit at 8-1-0.
The Carolina Hurricanes are off to a tremendous start, sitting at 6-2-0, but the surprise so far has been the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are sandwiched between the Devils and Hurricanes for second in the Metro at 6-2-1.
The Penguins probably can't sustain this strong start, but you have to give Dan Muse credit for what he's been able to do with that squad so far.
If anyone expected the Washington Capitals to be as good as they were last year, that wasn't going to happen, but they are off to a respectable start with a 6-3-0 record through nine games.
They need Connor McMichael to get going — he has just three points (one goal, two assists) in nine games.
Rick Tocchet's Philadelphia Flyers have been one of the best defensive teams in the sport, and if Matvei Michkov can turn the tide on his early-season struggles — he came into training camp out of shape and found himself in a bottom-six role — they may surprise some people. The Trevor Zegras acquisition is paying dividends, and he alone should make this team a fun one to watch. They shored up their goaltending by adding Dan Vladar, who is off to a strong start alongside Sam Ersson, who had a heck of a game against the Islanders the other day once he settled in.
The Columbus Blue Jackets got off to a 1-3-0 start but, like the Islanders, turned a corner, going 2-1-1 over their last four as they try to figure things out.
As they say, the points early in the season count the same as the points later in the season, so while these standings mean nothing with so much time left to go, don't be shocked if things — outside of the Penguins' current positioning — look the way they look come April.
It gets late early.
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