Metro Division Parity

[Jerzey Devil]

Any way of predicting how this division is going to end up this season? I know it’s still early and things will change but this has to be considered the strongest division in hockey right now.

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[Fondue]

Last year, the Metro ended up:

• WSH
• PIT
• CBJ
• NYR
• NYI
• PHI
• CAR
• NJ

I don't think it will deviate much from this. WSH falls at least a spot or two. PIT and CBJ are still going to be near/at the top.

I see WSH/NYR/CAR battling for wild card spots. Maybe NYI or PHI if they got hot enough. MAYBE. I don't see NJ getting in though.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Misread as Metro Division Party.

Leaving disappointed.

 

[zeke]

not sure the division is that great this year.

PIT is PIT.

CBJ is legit great too.

but i think WSH and NYR are in real trouble this year.

and i don't buy NJ's or PHI's hot starts at all.

 

[sobrien]

not sure the division is that great this year.

PIT is PIT.

CBJ is legit great too.

but i think WSH and NYR are in real trouble this year.

and i don't buy NJ's or PHI's hot starts at all.

Tell us why

 

[SeidoN]

Tell us why

agreed

 

[zeke]

Tell us why

Well, just because it's too small a sample for me to change my mind on how good their rosters are, esepecially since neither team is actually doing very well at even strength by the advanced stats:

#20 NJ 47.4xgf%
#26 PHI 45.9xgf%

 

[Scorcho]

agreed

Sitting down...

 

[Tryblot]

Central is still better.

 

[Rebels57]

The Flyers are 4-2 after facing:

San Jose - Road - (5-3 win)
Los Angeles - Road (2-0 loss 2nd night of back-to-back)
Anaheim - Road (3-2 win)
Nashville - Road (6-5 loss, had lead with 3 minutes left)
Washington - Home (8-2 win)
Florida - Home (5-1 win)

They have the best goal differential (+10) in the East and 2nd best in the NHL.

They have 1 tremendous line and 3 other good ones. The defense has improved as well.

I'm predicting they finish 4th in the Metro behind Pittsburgh, Washington, and Columbus and lock up the 1st Wild Card.

Carolina will slide in at 5th just a few points behind and lock up the 2nd Wild Card.

1 - Columbus
2 - Pittsburgh
3 - Washington
4 - Philadelphia
5 - Carolina
6 - NYR
7 - NYI
8 - NJD (last place but I expect a big improvement from last season still)

Just a ridiculous division.

 

[Pi]

Well, just because it's too small a sample for me to change my mind on how good their rosters are, esepecially since neither team is actually doing very well at even strength by the advanced stats:

#20 NJ 47.4xgf%
#26 PHI 45.9xgf%

NJ and PHI are also top 3 in PDO. Extremely unsustainable SV%. Best PDO last year was 102.91. Neither NJ or PHI is 3 points better than Washington who was absolutely stacked last year. Both of them are @ ~105.XX at the moment.

In NJ's case, teams that get outshot by nearly 6 shots a game aren't what you would classify as good. They are on a hot streak bound to come back to earth.

 

[FlyTimmo]

CBJ/Pitt/WSH should be the top 3, in that order.

NJ, Philly, Carolina, and the Isles should all be fighting for a wild card spot or two. I am biased towards Philly, so if a team other than them secured a playoff spot I'd put my money on the Devs. They are surprisingly really deep. Their defense is a tad concerning though.

And who knows, I don't like the way the Rangers are trending but, they could certainly catch fire and join the other 4 in a race for those WC spots.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Central is still better.

I saw this yesterday, lol.

 

[Crede777]

Last season any Metro team could make the playoffs besides *maybe* NJ or CAR. Now, those two are also strong candidates to make the playoffs.

The metro is just insane.

 

[hockeykicker]

Everyone knew that Washington wasant going to be the high power team again this year

 

[135ace]

I think we'll end up seeing Columbus/Pittsburg in 1/2 spots with Wash in number 3. Then we'll have the Devils/Canes/Flyers/Rangers battling for the 2 wild card spots with the Isles in last.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

Central is still better.

-The Metro has won 10 of the last 25 Stanley Cups.

-Ill let that little tidbit sink in for everyone else.

 

[Braunbaer]

-The Metro has won 10 of the last 25 Stanley Cups.

-Ill let that little tidbit sink in for everyone else.

Because Cups from the 90's matter now.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

Because Cups from the 90's matter now.

-Penguins won the last 2- Metro

-Penguins won 3 of the last 9- Metro

-Since the start of the new millennium, the Metro has won 6.

-It doesnt matter if you use last year, last 2 years, last 10 years, since the year 2000, since the year 1990, the Metro has basically been clowning other conferences. And now the Metro teams are forced to eliminate each other. Everyone gets all over Washington for not being successful and going deep but the reality is they would be going a lot further in the playoffs if they didnt have to deal with the Penguins every year.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Also came here for the 'party'

 

[MauDevils]

Well, just because it's too small a sample for me to change my mind on how good their rosters are, esepecially since neither team is actually doing very well at even strength by the advanced stats:

#20 NJ 47.4xgf%
#26 PHI 45.9xgf%

Too small of a sample size and yet you use advanced stats from said sample size to make your case.

 

[zeke]

Too small of a sample size and yet you use advanced stats from said sample size to make your case.

well that's the thing - the advanced stats, which already consider hundreds of data points even now, tell us more about small samples than things like goals, which we only have 20 or so at this point, or wins, which we only have a handful of.

but I don't mean to put down the Devils - I love the fact that they ahve some youth and speed now, and Schneider rebounding could get them into the playoffs himself.

 

[Wolfpuck]

If it's not a party, it will be by the end of the season.

The teams that make the postseason won't so much be "playoff teams," but rather "survivors."

 

[rent free]

The Flyers are 4-2 after facing:

San Jose - Road - (5-3 win)
Los Angeles - Road (2-0 loss 2nd night of back-to-back)
Anaheim - Road (3-2 win)
Nashville - Road (6-5 loss, had lead with 3 minutes left)
Washington - Home (8-2 win)
Florida - Home (5-1 win)

They have the best goal differential (+10) in the East and 2nd best in the NHL.

They have 1 tremendous line and 3 other good ones. The defense has improved as well.

I'm predicting they finish 4th in the Metro behind Pittsburgh, Washington, and Columbus and lock up the 1st Wild Card.

Carolina will slide in at 5th just a few points behind and lock up the 2nd Wild Card.

1 - Columbus
2 - Pittsburgh
3 - Washington
4 - Philadelphia
5 - Carolina
6 - NYR
7 - NYI
8 - NJD (last place but I expect a big improvement from last season still)

Just a ridiculous division.

imo this division is overrated as hell. the penguins have a meh defense despite winning the cup back2back, the caps have an inexperienced defense, the rangers have holes everywhere on their lineup, the flyers are young and improving, especially on the blueline, the islanders have a meh roster, the devils are on a hot start bound to end sooner rather than later, carolina is young and improving.

 

[KingsFan7824]

-The Metro has won 10 of the last 25 Stanley Cups.

-Ill let that little tidbit sink in for everyone else.

The Metro has only been around since 13-14. If you're going to include all current Metro teams into this for some reason, then something else the Metro has had is 40 top 5 picks in the last 25 years. The Atlantic 33, Pacific 30, and Central 21. Ok, that only comes out to 124, but I'm not going back through the list, so there's 1 more pick out there somewhere. 7 of the #1 overall picks have gone to Metro teams. 9 for the Atlantic, 5 for the Central, and 4 for the Pacific.

Some of those were traded into, or won in a lottery, or some years one team had multiple picks, but assuming top 5 picks are supposed to bet he most talented prospects, that's a lot of talent going to Metro teams.