Rangers take top spot, Hurricanes roll in Montreal — Metropolitan Division roundup

It was a meaningful night in the Metropolitan Division as the Rangers seized control of top spot, the Hurricanes flexed in Montreal, and the Devils came up short on the road in Utah.

Rangers win Battle of New York, Varlamov’s return spoiled

At Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers downed the New York Islanders 5–2, a result that pushes them alone into first place in the Metropolitan with 8 points through 5 games (4-1-0). The Islanders, meanwhile, drop to 1-2-0 with their second loss in three outings.

The game marked a long-awaited return for Semyon Varlamov. The veteran goaltender made his first NHL start since November 2024 after a lengthy knee injury layoff, with the Islanders turning back to him for the rivalry matchup. His comeback, however, was overshadowed by the Rangers attack, which produced enough to keep the home side on top of the divisional standings.

Hurricanes win 6–4 in Montreal with new-look top line

In Montreal, the Carolina Hurricanes skated away with a 6–4 road victory over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre. The defending Stanley Cup champions “largely controlled the play” and directed plenty of rubber at Montreal netminder Jakub Dobeš on their way to a second win in four games, good for 5 points and second place in the Metro at 2-1-1.

Carolina continued to adjust to the absence of Seth Jarvis, who is unavailable to start the season. William Carrier has been elevated to the top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, a look that gave the Hurricanes enough depth to outgun a Canadiens team missing Ivan Demidov. Zachary Bolduc scored twice and Juraj Slafkovský added a late goal for Montreal in the losing effort.

Devils stumble in Utah, others idle

The New Jersey Devils dropped a 5–3 decision to Utah, falling to 1-2-0 on the season. They sit seventh in the division with 2 points, level with the Philadelphia Flyers, who are 0-2-2 but have played one more game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins (3rd, 4 points in 3 games), Washington Capitals (4th), Columbus Blue Jackets (5th) and Flyers (8th) were all idle, leaving the day’s movement in the standings driven entirely by the Rangers’ and Hurricanes’ wins and the Devils’ road loss.