from Joshua Clipperton of the CP at MetroNews,

While not quite as top heavy in 2017-18, the Metropolitan is the league's most competitive division through two months of the schedule, and that could cause more playoff-related groans come April.

Heading into Tuesday night's action, six of the NHL's top 14 teams hailed from the division, with Metropolitan clubs in five of the East's eight playoff spots.

Columbus sat first with 35 points through 27 games, while the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils were right behind with 34 points from 26 contests. The Penguins and Washington Capitals — who collected 118 points last season to win the Presidents' Trophy, but lost out to Pittsburgh in the second round — both had 33 from 28 games to occupy the wild-card berths.

The Blue Jackets, Devils and Islanders are all on pace to finish with 106 points or more, meaning there could be another situation where two of the league's elite clubs meet in the first round.

"It's tough," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, whose team has won the Stanley Cup the last two seasons, said of the current format at an event in Toronto last week. "It goes in cycles, it's not always like that."

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