As the Metroplitan Division gets a glimmer of separation (eight points now between first and sixth), the Columbus Blue Jackets trail the Washington Capitals for first place by two points.
Here are the stories from around the division.
Racing to Belmont
For the New York Islanders, a move to Belmont Park has now become official.
After winning a $1 billion bid the Islanders will be constructing a new 18,000-seat arena near the Triple Crown horse race track. They have been sharing the Barclays Center with the Brooklyn Nets since 2015 after moving out of Nassau Coliseum.
"This will be more than an arena," team owner Jon Ledecky said. "This site will be the home of economic development."
The project will include a hotel and other amenities.
Penning a Deal
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins finalized a deal that sent a conditional fourth-round pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
Oleksiak's career to this point is akin to a grizzly bear in a dense forest. There's a good chance you may not see him (41 games is his single season high after six years in the NHL), but at 6-foot-7, 255 lbs., his presence remains intimidating.
The former first-round pick has 22 points in 140 career games.
Max T.J.
After missing six games with a concussion, the Washington Capitals regained consistent 50-point man T.J. Oshie on Tuesday.
Oshie will slot right back into his usual duties, skating on the second line with center Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana as well as on the top power-play unit.– Isabelle Khurshudyan, The Washington Post
Oshie has been off to one of his better NHL starts this season, with 23 points in just 29 games.
You're Hot and You're Cold
With Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the Philadelphia Flyers just ended what was a six-game win streak that put the right back into the Metropolitan race. This on the heels of a ten-game winless streak that had them looking to be out of it.
The Flyers have moved back into a sixth-place tie with the Penguins at 37 points. They next play the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
Buch-ering the Competition
Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Pleasantly surprised is an understatement when describing how New York Rangers faithful feel about young Russian phenom Pavel Buchnevich, who's exploding onto the scene like a newly poured bowl of piping Borscht.
He's scored 23 points in his second NHL season after just 34 games while learning his first bits of English less than a year ago.
“Zero English, zero understand,” Buchnevich said when asked about first coming to America. “When I’m kid, at school, parents tell me you need English. I think, ‘What the f---? I never go U.S.”
You can check out the full Sports Illustrated feature on him here. It's quite the entertaining read.
Devils Celebrate Christmas, Too
In what is a holiday tradition for the New Jersey Devils, the team went around to schools and hospitals and visited with children across the state Wednesday. It's been a tradition since 1982.
Each child received a toy in addition to meeting some of their favorite players.
Hurricanes Visit The Cellar
The Carolina Hurricanes may have won three of their last four (including an ugly game against the Blue Jackets) but they now reside at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division midway through December.
While the Nashville Predators lurk on the horizon, they follow that match-up with games against the Sabres and the Canadiens, neither of which have been the NHL's cream of the crop this season. It's a chance to grab some points before playing three of the following four against Metropolitan opponents.
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