METROPOLITAN DIVISION — Sunday marks the start of the final weekend of the NHL regular season when Metropolitan Division teams will compete for the remaining playoff berths. The Carolina Hurricanes lead the division with 94 points through 69 games, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins with 86 points through 69 games, the Columbus Blue Jackets with 85 points through 69 games, and the New York Islanders with 83 points through 70 games.

The Metropolitan Division is guaranteed three playoff slots and a fourth team can qualify as a wild card if it finishes with enough standings points. The New York Islanders currently sit one point behind a wild-card position.

On Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes will face the Pittsburgh Penguins at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+, while the Columbus Blue Jackets will play the New York Islanders at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

The Carolina Hurricanes have 13 games remaining in the regular season, including two additional games each against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders. They play seven of their final 13 games against teams currently in playoff positions. The Hurricanes have 31 regulation wins and a 99.9% chance of making the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have 13 games remaining in the regular season, of which five are against teams currently in playoff positions. The Penguins have 29 regulation wins and an 82.9% chance of making the playoffs. The Columbus Blue Jackets have 13 games remaining, of which eight are against teams currently in playoff positions, including two against the Carolina Hurricanes. They have 26 regulation wins and an 89.2% chance of making the playoffs.

The New York Islanders have 12 games remaining in the regular season, of which seven are against teams currently in playoff positions. They have 25 regulation wins and a 59.1% chance of making the playoffs.

Stathletes projects the Carolina Hurricanes to finish the regular season with 110.8 points, atop the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. The Columbus Blue Jackets are projected to finish with 100.9 points in second place, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins with 99.5 points in third place. The New York Islanders are projected to finish with 97.5 points, securing the second wild-card spot ahead of the Ottawa Senators (97.3 points) and the Detroit Red Wings (97.2 points).

The Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders will each conclude their regular seasons on April 14. All National Hockey League teams have 15 or fewer games remaining before the regular season concludes on April 16.