Last week I covered the four Atlantic Division teams the Rangers could face in the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, so this week let’s take a look at the three Metro Division rivals that New York could meet in Round One.

New York – The upstart Islanders seized control of the Metro early in the season and paced the division for the majority of the year, but the club has struggled of late. The Isles are having their best season in ages, which will give the franchise huge momentum going into Brooklyn next year. Of course, winning a playoff round or two would only help. Though they added playoff veterans Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy and Jaroslav Halak before the season, the Islanders are still very short on postseason experience. However, they are incredibly deep, especially up front where they possess the NHL’s fourth-ranked offense. This is one of the few teams that can nearly match the Rangers’ depth and mitigate their speed. The Islanders have ranked near the top of the league in CF% and FF% all year, but they have been trending down over the last couple months (ranking just behind the Blueshirts). Winger Kyle Okposo returned to the lineup two weeks ago, and though he’s struggled to find his game, Okposo could be a huge difference maker down the stretch. And of course it’d be remiss not to mention potential Art Ross/Hart Trophy winner John Tavares, who has been simply magnificent.

Pittsburgh – Once again, the Penguins are limping to the finish line. Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist remain out of the lineup as Pittsburgh has been forced to weather injuries to key players all year. Nevertheless, the Penguins have remained in hot pursuit of the Islanders. Pittsburgh’s usually potent offense ranks just 15th, but the Penguins have been tremendous on special teams and have given up the fifth-fewest goals per game. Of course, that stat goes out the window come playoff time, when Marc-Andre Fleury tends to turn into a sieve. Like the Islanders, the Penguins have been one of the league’s best possession teams all year, and in fact Pittsburgh ranks first in CF% and FF% since the start of 2015. Oh yeah, and Sidney Crosby leads the league in scoring – again. Health will of course be key, but on paper the Penguins should have more balance than in recent years with the solid play of offseason pickups Nick Spaling, Steve Downie and Blake Comeau backing up the skill wingers. Rookie D-man Derrick Pouliot is also quickly becoming a key contributor. But don’t be mistaken, coach Dan Bylsma may be gone, but these Penguins are still extremely reliant on their star players.

Washington – Just behind the Islanders and Penguins lurk the Capitals, who actually rank second in the division in goal differential at +32. These aren’t the same Capitals under Barry Trotz – finally Washington is playing consistently well at both ends of the ice, ranking in the top eight in total offense, defense and on the power play. Of course those rankings are buoyed by the ridiculous seasons Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom are having, but Braden Hotlby has been as valuable as either player in net. A finally healthy Mike Green and John Carlson are both having tremendous seasons moving the puck from the blueline, while Penguin imports Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik have helped round out Washington’s defense. Trade deadline acquisition Curtis Glencross has also been huge. The Capitals have been a good possession team, but not quite on the level of the Islanders or Penguins. This is a team the Rangers have had their way with of late, but Washington plays heavy and is quite a handful right now.

Who would you rather face?

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