Fifty-two. Or one more if you would prefer to round up.

That's the amount of wins the top five teams in the Metropolitan Division - the Penguins, Rangers, Flyers, Blue Jackets, and Capitals - are on pace to attain, each, now beyond the one-third mark of the 2016-17 playing schedule.

That total is six behind the most wins in a single season in the post-lockout era - the Red Wings won 58 back in 2005-06.

That's more than all but 18 stand-alone campaigns over the same time period. It's better than the current franchise record for more than half the teams in the NHL.

The five clubs - with four points separating them in the standings - have a combined plus-111 goal differential and .689 points percentage through 148 games. One team, on average, has finished a season in the post-lockout era with a higher points percentage - or 11 total.

The Penguins, Rangers, and Flyers are the three highest-scoring teams in the league, and the only outfits to pass the 100-goal threshold. The Capitals and Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are two of the top three stingiest to date.

The quintet have produced seven of the top 11 scorers in the NHL, and boast win streaks of 10, seven (twice), and five (three times).

Of course, the speed to which these teams are piling up points will be checked, eventually. The Blue Jackets have only played four games inside the division, and the Flyers five.

But it might be safe to conclude already that it just ain't happening this season for the Devils, Hurricanes, and Islanders - victims of the best division in hockey.

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