It's tight at the top of the Metropolitan Division and the leading two go head-to-head for the third time this season at the PNC Arena.

The Boston Bruins have held first place in the NHL standings for almost the entirety of the NHL season and last week became the joint-second quickest team to reach 30 wins, doing so in 38 games, tying the 1945/46 Montreal Canadiens.

In a crucial fixture in the Metropolitan Division, the New York Rangers host the hottest team in the NHL Carolina Hurricanes (25-6-6) at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Carolina Hurricanes, the NHL's most in-form team, begin the New Year with a trip to New Jersey to take on the Devils at Prudential Center on Sunday.

After losing their last five games, New Jersey Devils' red-hot start to the NHL season has begun to cool and on Wednesday they will face a challenge to hold on to top spot in the Metropolitan Division against second-placed Carolina Hurricanes.

Two teams who believe themselves to be Stanley Cup contenders meet on Friday as the Carolina Hurricanes (10-6-4) travel to TD Garden to face the red-hot Boston Bruins (17-3-0).

The Eastern Conference consists of the Metropolitan and Atlantic Divisions which were won by the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers respectively last season.

The Carolina Hurricanes head into 2022/23 determined to prove their status as a genuine Stanley Cup contender and find a way past the second round in the playoffs where they have stumbled in each of the past two seasons.

The Carolina Hurricanes' excitement to add scorer Max Pacioretty to their line-up has quickly subsided after it was revealed that the 33-year-old will miss up to six months of the new season with an Achilles injury.