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Good morning, hockey folks. That’s right, it’s me again — we’re saving DGB’s whimsy for later in the week. Instead, here’s some math homework.

5 of the NHL’s most surprising stats   

I’m not going to lie: This section was going to have more Penguins content as of about 9 p.m. ET last night. Pittsburgh was absolutely thumping the Maple Leafs 3-0 after 40 minutes and on the verge of starting the season 9-3-2, the league’s fourth-best record. 

Then they blew it, allowing four unanswered goals in a 10-minute stretch in the third — Toronto’s first third-period rally that big for a regulation win in nearly 50 years. 

So sorry, Sidney, you’re off the top of the list. 

1. 16 teams in the race

That’s the number of clubs in the Eastern Conference either in a playoff spot or within one point of being in. Yes, that means every single team in the conference is in that situation. Yes, that is kind of ridiculous. 

McIndoe broke down the parity party in his weekend rankings, but I have a couple more facts to add. This is the first time every team in a conference has been this close to making the playoffs 200-plus games into a season since 1995, a lockout-shortened year that was almost over by that point. 

And prior to Monday’s games, when the Leafs jumped up to third in the Atlantic, the race for the second wild-card spot in the East looked like this, with six teams tied at a .542 points percentage (89-point pace) and two more at .538 (88-point pace): 

Again, ridiculous. If there is such a thing as too much parity, it has arrived.

2. 19 points in 14 games for Evgeni Malkin

Okay, I lied – there’s going to be some Penguins content.

Many figured this would be the swan song for Malkin, who at 39 years old had dipped to 16 goals and only 50 points last season. Yet right now he sits tied for second in NHL scoring, part of an unexpected resurgence for Pittsburgh’s old guy brigade.

With a point in his next game, Malkin can become the second-fastest player in league history to get to 20 points at age 39 or older. The only one faster was Gordie Howe, who put up 20 points in 12 games way back in 1968-69.

It’s good to see – and maybe it extends his career a couple more years, too.

3. Sam Montembeault’s .839 save percentage

The Montreal Canadiens netminder had a terrific season a year ago, appearing in 62 games and leading the Habs back to the postseason. He also finished fifth in the entire league in goals saved above expected, was part of Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and even received a Vezina vote.

This year? He’s dead last in save percentage among goalies with more than five starts and second-last in goals saved above expected.

Thankfully for Montreal, rookie Jakub Dobes has stepped up and been outstanding, but it’s been a bafflingly poor start for Montembeault. They’re going to need him to improve to keep up their hot 9-3-0 start.

4. 3.64 goals per game for Anaheim

The Ducks were the third-lowest-scoring team in the NHL a year ago and missed the playoffs by a wide margin. When they brought in Joel Quenneville — one of the most decorated coaches in league history — most expected a bump in the standings, but more so from improved defensive play than an offensive explosion. 

Instead, Anaheim is tied for third in the entire league in goals per game thanks to a continued breakout from Leo Carlsson (on pace for 119 points) and newfound offensive depth via the additions of Mikael Granlund, Chris Kreider and youngster Beckett Sennecke. 

It also doesn’t hurt that goaltender Lukas Dostal leads the entire NHL in goals saved above expected. 

As one of the younger teams in the league figuring things out, they’re fun to watch right now. 

5. Carolina/Toronto power plays at 9.4 and 12.1 percent 

The Carolina Hurricanes and Maple Leafs are, unsurprisingly, two of the top offensive teams in the league, piling up more than 3.6 goals per game so far this season. But they simply cannot score on the power play. 

The Canes have only three PP goals in 11 games so far; Toronto isn’t much better with four in 13. Both teams have okay underlying numbers on the man advantage, but that doesn’t mean they’re not concerned.

The Leafs put rookie Easton Cowan up on PP1 in their last game. Carolina, meanwhile, has three players with almost zero offensive production on its top unit right now: Sean Walker (one point), Andrei Svechnikov (three) and Nikolaj Ehlers (four).

MirTrivia, November edition💡

Connor McDavid became the fourth-fastest player to 1,100 points in NHL history last night in a 3-2 Edmonton Oilers loss in St. Louis, hitting the milestone in his 726th career game. (Both his points were assists in the game, as he oddly remains with just three goals through 14 games.) 

Two of the names who did it faster than McDavid are easy, but you’re really on the ball if you can get all three. Hint: No. 3 was a winger who played with just one team in the ’70s and ’80s.

Coast to Coast

💙 Connor Ingram has had a tough road, including two breaks spent in the NHL/NHLPA’s player assistance program. Daniel Nugent-Bowman has a good read on Ingram’s mindset as he attempts to battle his way back from the AHL to the NHL with the Oilers. 

🏒  The Dallas Stars are headed to AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Cowboys, next season as part of the Stadium Series. Can they set an attendance record? 

🏅 How are World Junior rosters shaping up for Canada and the USA with less than two months until the tournament begins in Minneapolis–Saint Paul?

🎤 On the latest episode of “The Athletic Hockey Show,” Mark Lazerus and Jesse Granger break down the top storylines from the first month of the NHL season, including new blood rising in Utah, Anaheim, Chicago and Montreal. 

(Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)

Who’s the best No. 1 pick to build around? 

We’re taking your questions here for future mailbags and newsletters, and already there have been some great ones filtering in. Here’s one from Philippe C. that I thought we could tackle here: 

“Which of the last three first overall picks would you build your team around? Do you think Gavin McKenna can be a better player than any of the three?”

My first instinct was it had to be Macklin Celebrini (No. 1 in 2024) in San Jose. The 19-year-old has been on fire early this season, with his seven goals and 18 points through 13 games the equivalent of a 44-goal, 114-point season. He’s currently tied for sixth in NHL scoring. 

That’s miles ahead of 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard’s 67-point second season last year in Chicago, so that’s a fairly easy call at the moment.  

Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (2025’s top pick) is a tougher one given he’s only played 12 NHL games (and plays a different position), but he’s been absolutely fantastic in the early going. And McKenna’s even harder given he’s only just started his NCAA career at Penn State.

I put this question out to two of our experts for their takes: prospect writer Scott Wheeler and number-cruncher Dom Luszczyszyn.

Scott’s ranking: Celebrini, Bedard, Schaefer, McKenna

Dom’s ranking: Celebrini, Schaefer, Bedard, McKenna

“The only ranking there I’d feel good about is Celebrini’s,” Wheeler says. “Could see the other three in any order.”

“Agree with Scott,” Luszczyszyn adds. “Celebrini at 1 is the only clear-cut pick.”

So some good news for the Sharks as they try and make a move up the standings: Celebrini looks like the best of the “next” ones.

We’ll see how this shifts in the years to come, though, as it’s clear all four young Canadians are going to have a massive impact in the NHL and internationally.

Your MirTrivia Answer … 

It took Wayne Gretzky just 464 games to get 1,100 points. Mario Lemieux wasn’t that far behind at 550 games. But No. 3 is Mike Bossy, who made it there in 725 games, just one ahead of McDavid – in a much higher-scoring era. 

But McDavid hit the 1,100 point mark 124 games faster than the next fastest active player: Sidney Crosby in 850 games.

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