Metropolitan Division notebook

Before Friday, rookie defenseman Brady Skjei was having a solid first full season in the NHL playing on the New York Rangers' third defense pair and getting some power-play time. The most attention he received was from taking a skate to the face from teammate Kevin Hayes that knocked out two teeth and opened a cut that required 19 stitches during a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 13.
Even after that, Skjei did not miss a game.

Then Rangers coach Alain Vigneault decided to sit the 22-year-old for a 7-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild in the final game before the holiday break. Three nights earlier, Skjei was on the ice for one goal against, which came with 10.9 seconds remaining in a 7-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But his mistake was glaring. He overskated the puck behind the net, allowing Bryan Rust to set up Nick Bonino for the final goal of the game.
That prompted Vigneault to make Skjei a healthy scratch for the first time in 36 games this season. Skjei, 22, acknowledged that at this stage of his young career, "the huge thing is consistency," and he's been working on that while adjusting to the grind of the NHL season.
"This year, especially with a lot of games in a lot of days, you've got to bring your game every night," he said. "I think I've played pretty well and have gotten a few points, so I've just to keep it up."
While averaging 16:46 in ice time per game, which ranks sixth among the Rangers defensemen, Skjei is second on the Rangers and second among NHL rookie defensemen with 14 assists. His 15 points put him third among Rangers defensemen behind Ryan McDonagh (20) and Nick Holden (16).
Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who has 15 assists and 21 points, is the only rookie defenseman in the League with more assists and points. But Skjei, who had four goals and 24 assists in 68 games with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season, said there is room for improvement in the offensive side of his game.
"Definitely I can learn some more things, and I've been working on that in practice and watching other guys on our team and good power-play quarterbacks and taking stuff from them," he said.
Skjei (6-foot-3, 211 pounds) entered this season with confidence that he could play in the NHL after getting in seven regular-season games and five games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Rangers last season.
"Obviously that's the highest-paced hockey and getting that experience last year at the end of the year was huge," he said. "It taught me a lot going into this year to make the jump to playing the full year in the NHL."
Learning to pace himself and get his rest between games has been one of the biggest adjustments Skjei has had to make since leaving the University of Minnesota after three seasons to turn pro in 2015. During college he never played more than 40 games in a season.
He's almost played that many already this season in less than three months.
"You have to take care of your body and on your days off just get away and try to get your mind off hockey and relax," Skjei said. "It's hard but everyone in the League is playing a ton of games, so it's no excuse. You have to take care of your body and be aware of what you put in your body."

Christmas in Columbus

Most Russians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7 because the Russian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar. But Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Alexey Marchenko have started their own tradition with their families during the NHL holiday break.
Last year Bobrovsky and Orlov took advantage of the three-day layoff to visit Tarasenko in St. Louis. This year Bobrovsky hosted the Christmas get-together in Columbus and Marchenko joined the fun.
"We just kind of were talking during the season and Tarasenko had bought a house and he rebuilt everything inside and he invited us to see how it was and spend time together," Orlov said. "It was a great time and this year it was the same thing with [Bobrovsky]. He bought an apartment and finally he built everything, so he invited us to come there. I think it's great to spend time with our friends."
Tarasenko and Orlov are longtime friends who played for Russia at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship. Orlov and Bobrovsky are from Novokuznetsk, Russia, and played together in the Kontinental Hockey League with Novokuznetsk Metallurg in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Orlov said he and Marchenko have known each other for about eight years.
During the regular season the players usually have limited time to catch up when their teams face each other. The holiday break gave them three days.
"It's good company," Orlov said. "I think it's great for us."

Stat pack

The Blue Jackets have outscored opponents 46-18 during their team-record 12-game winning streak and have a League-best goal differential of plus-44. According to Elias Sports Bureau, two teams have had longer single-season winning streaks since the start of 2005-06: the 2009-10 Washington Capitals, who won 14 in a row, and the 2012-13 Penguins, who won 15 in a row. … Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson's assist in a 2-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday was his 200th NHL point and extended his NHL career-high point streak to nine games (seven goals, seven assists). … Sidney Crosby scored his 110th power-play goal Friday, pulling him into a tie with Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens for third place in Penguins history behind Mario Lemieux (236) and Evgeni Malkin (112).

Games to watch

Pittsburgh Penguins at New Jersey Devils (Dec. 27, 7 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, MSG+, ROOT, NHL.TV) -- The completion of a holiday home-and-home series that began with a 4-1 victory by the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 23.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Minnesota Wild (Dec. 31, 6 p.m. ET; FS-N, FS-O, NHL.TV) --The hottest teams in the League face off to close 2016. The Blue Jackets have won 12 consecutive games. The Wild have won a team-record tying 10 in a row.
Montreal Canadiens at Pittsburgh Penguins (Dec. 31, 7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVA Sports, ROOT, NHL.TV) --Carey Price and the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens visit Crosby and the Penguins, who are one point behind the Blue Jackets for the Metropolitan Division lead.
New York Rangers at Philadelphia Flyers (Jan. 4, 8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV) -- The Flyers return home from a four-game road trip for a Wednesday Night Rivalry game. The Rangers defeated the Flyers 3-2 on Nov. 25. The Flyers won 10 in a row after that.
Edmonton Oilers at New Jersey Devils (Jan. 7, 7 p.m. ET; SN, MSG+, NHL.TV) --The first game between the teams since the June 29 trade that sent left wing Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson. They play again Jan. 12 in Edmonton.