2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Time to get to the good stuff in the Metropolitan division. It's fair to say that this was not the best season for the formerly-dominant division considering the collapse of the 2024 President's Trophy winning Rangers, the slip to the wrong side of the wild card of the Islanders, and the continued struggles of the Penguins, Flyers, and ultimately Blue Jackets. The ultimate representatives, the Capitals, Hurricanes, and Devils were a mixed bag to say the least; the Caps have all season faced allegations that their pristine standings performance is driven by unsustainable finishing and goaltending, the Hurricanes always have doubters that their Corsi-maximizing style is legitimate, and the Devils slunk into irrelevance following a series of key injuries. The former two teams are left standin