Flames halt Hurricanes’ streak at seven – Metropolitan Division roundup

The big story in the Metropolitan Division is the end of the Carolina Hurricanes’ roll. The division leaders saw their seven-game win streak snapped in Calgary, while Columbus dropped a tight one in Minnesota and Philadelphia lost a key defenceman to injured reserve.

Hurricanes: streak snapped, Staal sidelined but depth responds

Carolina remains first in the Metro with 15 points in 10 games (7-2-1), but a 3-2 loss to the Flames ended their lengthy streak. According to Sportsnet, Calgary’s youngsters Matvei Gridin and Zayne Parekh provided a glimpse of a brighter future in the upset, and Yegor Sharangovich supplied the winner to officially end Carolina’s run. Sportsnet also notes that Devin Cooley earned his first win of the season in goal while stopping the Hurricanes, and that Morgan Frost finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play with Parekh and Joel Farabee to score in his 400th NHL game.

The loss comes with Carolina already navigating a significant absence down the middle. The Hockey Writers reports that captain Jordan Staal is out for at least a month with a partial calf tear. In that context, Mark Jankowski has been stepping up over the past two weeks, and The Hockey Writers adds that Staal’s injury is creating new opportunities for Jesperi Kotkaniemi in Rod Brind’Amour’s system. La Presse, in a separate piece on the women’s game, pointed out that the Hurricanes started this season only about three and a half months after their Stanley Cup win, a relatively short off-season.

Blue Jackets: from shutting out the Rangers to falling in Minnesota

Columbus sits seventh in the Metro at 3-4-0, with 6 points in seven games, after a 2-1 road loss to the Wild. La Presse notes that Kirill Kaprizov became the first player to reach 10 goals this season, leading Minnesota past the Blue Jackets on Sunday night. Sportsnet highlighted how Kaprizov and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt combined to carry the Wild in that victory.

The setback followed a high point on Saturday. As The Hockey Writers recounts, Columbus edged the New York Rangers 1-0 in overtime, with Kent Johnson scoring the overtime winner and Jet Greaves stopping all 29 shots he faced. That win briefly stalled a Rangers team that otherwise holds second place in the division at 6-3-1 (13 points).

Penguins searching for answers, York to IR, Rangers and Devils under the microscope

The Pittsburgh Penguins are sixth with 7 points in nine games (3-5-1) and, according to The Hockey Writers, enter the third week of the season still searching for traction. A difficult early Western Conference road trip exposed systemic defensive issues and penalty-kill problems. In a separate article, The Hockey Writers notes that the Edmonton Oilers should keep an eye on Penguins veterans as potential trade targets, though that does not necessarily mean a deal is imminent.

In New York, The Hockey Writers points out that the Rangers’ 6-3-1 start masks some five-on-five struggles even as goaltender Dylan Garand steps up. The same outlet describes the New Jersey Devils, now 4-4-0 after eight games and sitting fifth, as a team showing both offensive brilliance and inconsistency, with difficulties scoring first and closing out games.

The New York Islanders, fourth in the Metro at 4-3-1 (9 points), are coming off a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday, a result mentioned by The Hockey Writers in a piece focused on Toronto. At the bottom, the Philadelphia Flyers remain eighth with 5 points in 10 games (1-6-3) and have placed defenceman Cam York on injured reserve, per Daily Faceoff. York has averaged 21:49 of ice time through five games this season. The Washington Capitals, meanwhile, were idle but hold third place at 5-3-0 (10 points), tucked in behind Carolina and the Rangers.