Hurricanes lock up top spot in Metropolitan with win over Rangers

The Carolina Hurricanes secured their second consecutive Metropolitan Division title Tuesday night with a 4-3 win over the second-place New York Rangers.

With the Florida Panthers already locking up the top overall spot in the Eastern Conference, Carolina is guaranteed to play the first wild-card seed in Round 1. The Boston Bruins currently hold that position.

The win also established a new Hurricanes record with 114 points. Carolina's previous benchmark of 112 was set in 2005-06 when the franchise won its only Stanley Cup.

The Hurricanes have qualified for the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. They were eliminated in the second round last summer by the Tampa Bay Lightning.