Metro teams flex their muscles

Justin Williams knows from missing the playoffs twice with defending Stanley Cup champions just how difficult it is to make it to the postseason, which is why the Metropolitan Division standings have his full attention.

“I see our division, I see everyone winning,” the Washington Capitals right winger said. “The top eight in the East is going to be tough to get in this year. We plan to be at the top.”

Even for the Capitals, who ran away with the Presidents' Trophy last season, that's easier said than done. They are on pace for 112 points, which would leave them in third place because the Metropolitan is home to five of the top eight teams in the NHL.

Heading into Tuesday night’s games the Philadelphia Flyers have won a league-best nine in a row and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins six, so the Capitals' four-game winning streak doesn't have them moving up the standings.

“Win them all if you can,” coach Barry Trotz said. “You have a bad day, you could fall like three or four spots. You could go from being a wild-card team to not being in the playoffs to being second in your division if you win.”

“Everyone's playing at a high level,” Rangers center Derek Stepan said. “There's no room. We're in our playoff push.”

No team has pushed toward the playoffs harder than the Flyers, who were 13th in the East before their run began Nov. 27. Philadelphia has risen in the East behind Jakub Voracek, goaltender Steve Mason and strong special teams.

Coach Dave Hakstol said the Flyers are finding different ways to win games, as evidenced by them beating the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 and then a few days later the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 in overtime.

“I think we're playing better defensively as a team,” said Voracek. “When we're making mistakes, Mason is playing unreal I think as an overall game we got better not only over the winning streak but in the games before. We lost the games when we should've won earlier in the year and now we're winning them. It's a good sign.”

The Penguins have avoided the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover thanks to Sidney Crosby. As Henrik Lundqvist sits, Rangers backup goalie Antti Raanta has won three consecutive starts with a 0.33 goalsagainst average and .984 save percentage heading into Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

After losing four of its first six games, Columbus is rolling under coach John Tortorella. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is among the league leaders with in save percentage and goalsagainst-average this season.

“Everybody's bought in,” said Columbus center Brandon Dubinsky, who also played for Tortorella in New York. “I would venture to say he's probably the most fair coach as far as time off and days off and treating the players with respect and giving them their space and just allowing them to focus on one thing and one thing only, which is the 60 minutes ahead of them and the game.”

Meanwhile, the Capitals shrugged off some early malaise, and Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Braden Holtby said, “We're realizing a little bit more who we are.” Three-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin snapped a sevengame goal drought Sunday, but Nicklas Backstrom and others are picking up the slack.

Defenseman Karl Alzner isn't surprised by the Metropolitan might.

“We all knew that when the divisions got made that ours was going to be really hard and it wasn't as hard as it could've been, I think, the last few years,” Alzner said. “I think we're finally getting to see what the Metropolitan is all about.”