Keeping up with the Metropolitans: Week 4

A familiar face is at the top of the standings, and the Penguins slipped several spots. Check out how the rest of the Metro performed last week!

By t.cann112 Oct 27, 2019, 6:00am EDT

The Penguins were tied for first place last week at this time, but find themselves tied for third in the Metro as of today. The Penguins began last week in the Sunshine State against the Panthers on Tuesday night. It was a very close game that could have gone either way, but the Panthers got the better of the Penguins in their 4-2 victory in Sunrise.

The Pens were in Tampa on Wednesday night in a nationally televised game and it did not disappoint. The two teams combined for 87 shots on goal in regulation, but the Penguins took a late penalty and the Lightning converted with less than a minute in the game to give the Penguins a second straight loss in a game that really could have gone either way. Tristan Jarry made a career high 45 saves but the Penguins surrendered two goals in the third period to end up losing in regulation.

The Penguins had a rematch against the Stars in Dallas on Saturday night. Dominik Kahun scored his first goal with Pittsburgh which turned out to be the game winner, and Bryan Rust scored a goal in his first game since injuring his hand in the preseason. John Marino assissted on Rust’s goal giving Marino his first point in the NHL. Matt Murray stopped all 25 shots he faced, with the Pens only allowing three shots in the third period, as Murray picked up his first shutout this season and 11th career shutout to end the week on a positive note for the Penguins.

The Penguins and Flyers meet for the first time on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh in what should be another instant classic. The Penguins short week will wrap up at home against Edmonton on Saturday afternoon.

The Capitals remain in first in the Metro with a comfortable four point lead this week after what should only be considered a successful road trip last week. The Capitals were in Chicago last Sunday and Alex Ovechkin would give the Capitals a 3-1 lead early in the third period before the Hawks answered with two quick goals to tie it. Tom Wilson would answer minutes later and the Capitals added an empty net goal to begin the trip with a 5-3 victory in Chicago.

Washington was in Calgary two nights later and got the same result. John Carlson continued his historic pace to start the scoring 35 seconds into the second period as both teams would trade five goals with the Capitals ahead 3-2 after 40 minutes. The Capitals added two more before the Flames scored the final goal with 15 seconds left to make the final appear closer than the 5-3 result.

The Caps were in Edmonton two days later and Ovechkin continued his goal scoring streak with two in the second period to extend the Capitals lead to 3-1 after two periods. Edmonton would rally in the third and Connor McDavid would score a highlight reel goal to tie it before the end of regulation and Leon Draisaitl scored his second goal of the game, and Edmonton’s third in a row, to end the Capitals four game win streak.

The Capitals finished their trip to western Canada on Friday night in Vancouver, and the game was a high scoring back-and-forth game. Evgeny Kuznetsov struck first three minutes in, but Vancouver would then score five in a row. Kuznetsov would get his second of the game in the final second of the second period to begin an epic comeback for the Capitals. Lars Eller scored short-handed and the Capitals added two more less than ten minutes into the third period to even the score at five. Neither team would score in overtime and Nicklas Backstrom scored the difference maker in the third round to send the Caps back home winners.

The Capitals still have one more road game in Toronto on Tuesday before finally returning home to face the Sabres on Friday night to wrap up a two game week.

Carolina returned from a California road trip last week but began their week on the road in Columbus on Thursday night. Columbus scored one early but Carolina would answer with three goals of their own in the first period. Unfortunately for Carolina, that would not be enough as they let the Blue Jackets back into the game with two in the second period and forced overtime. The Blue Jacket would finish the comeback with 1:32 left in overtime to hand the Hurricanes the overtime loss.

Carolina returned home to face the Blackhawks on Saturday in Raleigh. Petr Mrazek stopped all 32 shots he faced and Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals as the Hurricanes shut out Chicago with a 4-0 victory in front of their home fans to remain in second place in the Metro this week.

Carolina returns to action on Tuesday at home against the Flames and then has a back-to-back set at home against the Red Wings on Friday night and the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

The Islanders continued their ascension back into the top three of the Metro, going undefeated in their last four games. The Coyotes continued an east coast swing on Long Island on Thursday night. Derick Brassard scored his first goal with the Islanders and Michael Grabner would answer against his former team in the first period. The Islanders scored the next two goals and the Coyotes would add one more to make it interesting in the end, but the Isles added an empty net goal to complete the 4-2 victory.

The Islanders flew across the border to take on the Senators in Ottawa 24 hours later. Tyler Ennis got the Sens on the board first but the Islanders would score four straight before Ennis scored in the third period to finish the scoring and finish the week for the Isles undefeated in two games.

The Islanders and Flyers meet tonight at Nassau and then will have a four day break before a back-to-back against the Lightning at Nassau on Friday night and in Buffalo on Saturday night.

The Blue Jackets played in four consecutive overtime games and eight straight one goal games after their first two games last week. They began last week on the road against the Maple Leafs. It was a great start for Columbus jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead six minutes into the game before the Leafs answered with two goals of their own in the first period. Toronto added one in the last minute of the second period before Columbus scored the equalizing power play goal to force overtime. Gustav Nyquist scored his second goal of the year two minutes into overtime to finish off the Maple Leafs to end the Jackets’ two game overtime loss streak.

The Blue Jackets reversed that two game overtime loss streak into a two game overtime win streak at home against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Columbus started the scoring quickly but the Hurricanes responded with three first period goals of their own. Columbus would answer in the second period to tie the game and both goalies shut the door in the third period. Cam Atkinson would end the game 3:28 into overtime with his third goal of the season and extend the Blue Jackets win streak to two games.

It looked like the Blue Jackets were well on their way to their third straight victory in Philadelphia on Saturday night, but the Flyers had other plans. Josh Anderson scored his first of the year for Columbus to extend their lead to 4-2 early in the third period before the wheels fell off for Columbus. The Flyers scored five goals in the last nine minutes of the game to stun Columbus in a 7-4 loss for Columbus.

Columbus will have three days of rest and then take on Edmonton in Columbus on Wednesday night before heading for a quick one game road trip to St. Louis on Friday then return home to play the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. The Jackets will play their next six games against Western Conference teams.

Columbus Blue Jackets v Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers scored 17 goals in three games, and finally got the goaltending to go along with the scoring to go 3-0 last week. Oscar Dansk started the week against Philadelphia for the Golden Knights in his first start this season, and it did not go well for him. The Flyers peppered Dansk with 28 shots in the first 40 minutes and got five goals past him before the Knights finally got on the board in the third period. Brian Elliott stopped 33/35 shots to end the Flyers four game skid with a 6-2 victory.

The Flyers were in Chicago on Thursday night and controlled the game for the first 40 minutes against the Blackhawks. Claude Giroux scored his first of the year to give the Flyers the 2-0 early in the second and the Flyers allowed only one shot on goal in the middle frame before doubling their goal total in the third period to knock off the Blackhawks by a 4-1 final score.

It went from being a perfect road game for the Blue Jackets to a total disaster against the Flyers in Philly on Saturday night. The Flyers offense relentlessly pressured the Jackets in the game but the Flyers found themselves down 4-2 midway through the third before Shayne Gostisbehere finally got his first goal this season to open the flood gates for the Flyers. Philadelphia would add four more goals in the third period to complete the comeback by a 7-4 final to extend the Flyers’ win streak to three.

The Flyers return to action tonight on the road against the Islanders before the next Battle of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The Flyers continue their three game road trip against the Metro in New Jersey on Friday night before the Flyers return home against the Maple Leafs the following night on the back end of a back-to-back.

The New York Rangers had their first busy week this season, playing the first three games of a five game home stand beginning against Vancouver last Sunday. Jacob Markstrom made 40 saves, including 16/17 in the 3rd period to hold off the Rangers by a 3-2 final score. The Canucks jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the end of the first period before the Rangers would score one in the second and third but come up just short in the end.

The Arizona Coyotes were next in the Big Apple on Tuesday night, and the fans got some bonus hockey as the game needed overtime to decide a winner. Both teams traded goals in the first 40 minutes before heading to overtime where Christian Dvorak scored his fourth goal a minute into overtime to seal the deal for Arizona, handing the Rangers their fifth loss in a row.

The Rangers would end that losing streak without much doubt against in-state rival Buffalo on Thursday night in New York City. The Rangers scored three goals in the first period and never took the foot off the gas pedal in a convincing 6-2 victory to end their losing streak at five games to wrap up their week.

They return to action with several tough match ups this week beginning on Sunday night against Boston at home. The Lightning are next at MSG on Tuesday night to wrap up their home stand before heading to Nashville on Saturday afternoon.

The Devils slide back to last place in the Metro, thanks in large part to only two possible points in their one game on Friday night at home against the Arizona Coyotes. The Devils pounded the Coyotes with shots in the first period before finally breaking through with two late goals, including Jack Hughes’ second is as many games to go along with two assists in the game. The Coyotes would score one late in the first before before outscoring the Devils 2-1 in the second period to tie the game heading into the third. Arizona scored less than two minutes into the third period before adding an empty netter to finish off the Devils by a 5-3 final score. It was a tough loss for the Devils as they outshot the Coyotes 35-17 but still came up on the short end.

The Devils will have three days of rest before continuing their extended home stand on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. New Jersey finally wraps up their six game home stand when the Philadelphia Flyers are at the Rock in Newark on Friday before flying to Raleigh on Saturday to face another Metropolitan team in Carolina to wrap up the week for the Metropolitan.