NHL scores 2016: Metropolitan Division coming back to Earth with end of Flyers’ & Capitals’ streaks

If we told you that the Blue Jackets now hold the NHL’s longest active win streak with eight games before the start of the year, you’d probably laugh and never return to this site again. Well, bad news, you’re stuck here now since Columbus does in fact have the NHL’s longest active win streak this season!

Both the Flyers and Capitals took their first losses since November 25 and December 3 respectively on Saturday. It was only a matter of time before the Metropolitan Division giants fell. The Penguins were shut out on Friday after winning seven straight, then lost again Saturday in overtime against the Maple Leafs.

Philadelphia’s bounces finally went the other way in a 3-1 loss in Dallas. Young stud defenseman Ivan Provorov hit a pair of posts in the final 20 minutes of play while the normally hot power play was kept to one failed chance at the end of the game.

In Washington, the Capitals were denied their eighth straight thanks to career win No. 250 for Carey Price. The Canadiens’ goaltender got his revenge after allowing four goals in their loss to San Jose on Friday, and in the process helped stop yet another Metro team in their dominant tracks. The Capitals actually dominated the possession game, but like the Flyers, their time just ran out.

The streaks weren’t going to last forever, as neither will the Blue Jackets’ current roll. As the Metro cools off, though, it’s still worth pointing out that they’ve almost essentially kept the Atlantic out of the Wild Card unless their Eastern Conference neighbors do the same.

Stars 3, Flyers 1
Wild 4, Coyotes 1
Red Wings 6, Ducks 4
Maple Leafs 2, Penguins 1 (OT)
Senators 3, Devils 1
Canadiens 2, Capitals 1
Hurricanes 2, Sabres 1 (SO)
Blackhawks 6, Blues 4
Rangers 2, Predators 1 (SO)
Oilers 3, Lightning 2 (SO)

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1. Jimmy Vesey got booed in Nashville, then got his revenge

As if the former Predators draft pick wasn’t going to get booed in his first visit back to Nashville after spurning the city for the Rangers. The reception for Vesey was well known every time he was on the ice. So of course the Rangers’ rookie played a hand in New York’s fifth win in six games by adding a goal in the shootout.

Vesey’s goal wasn’t the game winner for the Rangers in the 2-1 victory, but revenge is a dish best served cold as they say.

2. Phil Kessel dealt with boos, for some reason

The boo-birds were out on Saturday across the NHL. The immaculate Phil Kessel was booed by his former town Toronto for no real reason other than he’s now a Stanley Cup winner.

Which, you do you Toronto, I guess. But Kessel’s night was only made worse by an unfortunate stick incident that fit in with the theme in Toronto.

3. The Blackhawks and Wild running away with the Central

Chicago won their fourth straight and finished off a three-game road trip on a high note after besting the Blues 6-4. Meanwhile the Wild have quietly won seven games in a row to leapfrog past their Central Division rivals in St. Louis, Dallas, and Nashville for second place behind the Blackhawks.

The Central looks nothing like anyone predicted, and the newly reinvigorated Wild are most certainly to blame.

The Red Wings have won just three of their last nine games, but a six-goal outing against Anaheim has them stabilized in the Atlantic, for now. Tomas Tatar netted his first career hat trick in the win which included a fluky goal off the end boards and some sweet moves for the eventual game winner.

With a loss to the Oilers, the Lightning are now 6-9-1 since Steven Stamkos’ injury.