Hellebuyck shines in Devils debut: Metropolitan Division roundup

It was a busy night for the Metropolitan Division, headlined by Connor Hellebuyck’s long-awaited first start for the New Jersey Devils and statement wins by both of the division’s top teams.

Hellebuyck delivers in first Devils start, New Jersey solidly second

The Devils kept pace with Carolina by rolling to a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars on the road. According to Sportsnet, Nico Hischier led the way offensively with two goals, while newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck recorded a victory in his Devils debut. Daily Faceoff noted earlier that Hellebuyck was traded from the Winnipeg Jets last week, and Sportsnet had raised questions about possible rust after his suspension in Winnipeg. Instead, as La Presse also underlined in calling it a successful first start, Hellebuyck backstopped New Jersey to a comfortable victory.

The win pushes the Devils to 16 points in 12 games (8-4-0), keeping them firmly in second place in the Metropolitan.

Hurricanes edge Bruins in clash of division leaders

At the top of the division, the Carolina Hurricanes tightened their grip on first with a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Sportsnet reports that Pyotr Kochetkov was solid in net and Sebastian Aho scored what stood up as the game-winner. With The Hockey News recently asking whether Carolina is still the team to beat in the NHL, this victory over another division leader adds weight to the Hurricanes’ case. They now sit at 10-2-2, with 22 points in 14 games.

Blue Jackets survive Flyers rally, Islanders win in the shootout

In Philadelphia, the Columbus Blue Jackets escaped with a 4-3 overtime win against the Flyers. La Presse notes that Columbus let a three-goal lead slip away before Kent Johnson scored his second of the night in overtime to seal it. Sportsnet describes a blistering first-period stretch where Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, and Denton Mateychuk scored three goals in roughly three minutes. The Flyers clawed back to tie, but, as shown on Sportsnet’s highlight, Johnson finished off a 2-on-0 with Fantilli in OT for the winner.

The result moves Columbus to 5-5-0 and 10 points in 10 games, pulling even in points with Philadelphia (3-7-4), who sit last after already playing 14 games.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders outlasted the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout. Sportsnet reports that Bo Horvat scored in regulation and added the shootout winner. Daily Faceoff notes that 19-year-old defenceman Matthew Schaefer became the first post-lockout player to skate the full five minutes of overtime, finishing with over 32 minutes of ice time overall. The win lifts the Islanders to 6-4-2 and 14 points in 12 games, just behind the Rangers.

The Rangers, meanwhile, have cooled off after a 7-3-1 start. The Hockey Writers points out that Adam Fox is off to a strong individual start, but New York has now dropped three straight in regulation, allowing 18 goals over those games; even so, they remain third at 7-6-1 for 15 points.

In Pittsburgh, Sportsnet relays that Ben Kindel is “happy to be moving forward” after experiencing a medical incident on the team plane; he has returned to practice and says he feels grateful and healthy. There were no major updates out of Washington over the past 24 hours, though the Capitals remain firmly in the mix at 6-4-0 with 12 points from 10 games.