Capitals’ Cup title shows Metropolitan is best division

and Kings (2014).

Why has the Metropolitan fared better?

Some of it is the PenguinsCapitals effect. During the regular season, Washington has held up its share of the bargain; the Capitals’ 243 regulation wins during the regular season are more than anyone else, and the Penguins are third with 239.

But it also could be a styleof-play issue that has been echoed throughout the league. When the Rangers were winning during the middle part of the decade, they did it with speed. Ditto for the Penguins of 2015-17.

The Capitals weren’t able to get over the playoff hump until they retooled their roster, changed their identity and started to employ a faster pace of play than the heavier game most would identify with the Capitals.

The New Jersey Devils have caught up — and then some, Penguins fans might argue. Columbus is close. The New York Islanders have been streaky when it comes to offense, but they have scored 1,188 goals since 2013, which ranks better than all but five teams. (The Penguins lead with 1,248, and Dallas, fourth with 1,206, is the best Central team in that regard.)

Speed and playing fast are paramount in the NHL today, and a case could be made that the Metropolitan Division has done both extremely well.

Equally as important has been goaltending. The Metro has been the best there, too.

Since 2013, Metropolitan Division goalies occupy four of the top seven spots in termsof regular-season wins.

That doesn’t include Matt Murray, who has won the most Cup titles.

Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury (a Metro goalie in four of the past five years) are the only notable division goaltenders without a Vezina Trophy; Braden Holtby, Sergei Bobrovsky (twice) and Henrik Lundqvist have all won it.

Then, there is the importance of special teams.

Metro teams occupy six of the top 15 power-play spots since 2013, five of the top 15 when it comes to killing penalties. Central teams hold just three and two spots, respectively.

Rutherford isn’t a fan of division rankings, but he also doesn’t expect the Metro to get easier.

With that in mind, he brought up the idea of Lou Lamoriello taking over the Islanders and making them better soon.

The Philadelphia Flyers remain a mishmash, and the Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes — despite having a decent amount of young talent — are the only teams with zero shot of competing for the division crown.