The Race to the Top
It's starting to become apparent that the two teams battling for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division are the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes. These two powerhouses are currently neck and neck with 13 games left and separated by just two points. The Rangers had an impressive win over the Hurricanes just last week shutting them out 1-0 on the road in Carolina. It just goes to show how even these teams really are.
Image from msn.com
Although both teams are considered a lock to make the playoffs, there's a lot more at stake. The winner of the Metropolitan division will clinch home ice advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs and possibly the third and fourth rounds as well depending on how the rest of the league finishes. Home ice advantage is a huge boost for teams in the playoffs especially these two markets. Who wants to go play a possible four games in the Big Apple in “The World's Most Famous Arena?” Additionally, playing in Carolina where fans are BEGGING for a successful playoff run is not a walk in the park either. As much as home ice does play a factor in the playoffs, being the 1 seed does grant you the chance to play “a weaker team” but is that a true statement this year?
Last season, the Boston Bruins finished on top of the league and clinched home ice through all four rounds. However, they ran into the lowest seed in the Florida Panthers who shocked the hockey world and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. This year, The Tampa Bay Lightning seems to slowly be inching their way to another playoff appearance which will more than likely be a wild card spot and there aren’t a lot of teams who would prefer to play the former 2x Stanley Cup Champions in the playoffs. Perhaps maybe finishing second in the division isn’t the worst option.
Obviously the two teams aren’t looking at who they would be playing right now with 13 games left in the regular season because it's about finishing the season strong and heading into the playoffs on a good note. Winning one of the toughest divisions in the league would certainly be an accomplishment for whichever team does, in fact, pull away from the other. For the Rangers, this would be their first division win since 2015. For Carolina, they are looking for their third straight division win, which would cement themselves as the clear best team in the Metro. It will be interesting to see how this race finishes at the conclusion of the regular season.
