{"id":271575,"date":"2025-11-04T20:22:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T20:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/271575\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T20:22:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T20:22:17","slug":"five-surprising-nhl-stats-plus-whos-the-best-recent-no-1-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/271575\/","title":{"rendered":"Five surprising NHL stats. Plus: Who\u2019s the best recent No. 1 pick?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey<\/a>\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning, hockey folks. That\u2019s right, it\u2019s me again \u2014 we\u2019re saving DGB\u2019s whimsy for later in the week. Instead, here\u2019s some math homework.<\/p>\n

5 of the NHL\u2019s most surprising stats\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m 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\u2019s fourth-best record.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then they blew it, allowing four unanswered goals<\/a> in a 10-minute stretch in the third \u2014 Toronto\u2019s first third-period rally that big for a regulation win in nearly 50 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So sorry, Sidney, you\u2019re off the top of the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. 16 teams in the race<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McIndoe broke down the parity party<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And prior to Monday\u2019s 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):\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Again, ridiculous. If there is such a thing as too much parity, it has arrived.<\/p>\n

2. 19 points in 14 games for Evgeni Malkin<\/p>\n

Okay, I lied \u2013 there\u2019s going to be some Penguins content.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s old guy brigade<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s good to see \u2013 and maybe it extends his career a couple more years, too.<\/p>\n

3. Sam Montembeault\u2019s .839 save percentage<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

This year? He\u2019s dead last in save percentage among goalies with more than five starts and second-last in goals saved above expected.<\/p>\n

Thankfully for Montreal, rookie Jakub Dobes has stepped up and been outstanding, but it\u2019s been a bafflingly poor start<\/a> for Montembeault. They\u2019re going to need him to improve to keep up their hot 9-3-0 start.<\/p>\n

4. 3.64 goals per game for Anaheim<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 one of the most decorated coaches in league history \u2014 most expected a bump in the standings, but more so from improved defensive play than an offensive explosion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, Anaheim is tied for third in the entire league in goals per game thanks to a continued breakout from Leo Carlsson<\/a> (on pace for 119 points) and newfound offensive depth via the additions of Mikael Granlund, Chris Kreider and youngster Beckett Sennecke.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It also doesn\u2019t hurt that goaltender Lukas Dostal leads the entire NHL in goals saved above expected<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As one of the younger teams in the league<\/a> figuring things out, they\u2019re fun to watch right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. Carolina\/Toronto power plays at 9.4 and 12.1 percent\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Canes have only three PP goals in 11 games so far; Toronto isn\u2019t much better with four in 13. Both teams have okay underlying numbers on the man advantage, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re not concerned.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

MirTrivia, November edition\ud83d\udca1<\/p>\n

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.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two of the names who did it faster than McDavid are easy, but you\u2019re really on the ball if you can get all three. Hint: No. 3 was a winger who played with just one team in the \u201970s and \u201980s.<\/p>\n

Coast to Coast<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc99 Connor Ingram has had a tough road, including two breaks spent in the NHL\/NHLPA\u2019s player assistance program. Daniel Nugent-Bowman has a good read on Ingram\u2019s mindset<\/a> as he attempts to battle his way back from the AHL to the NHL with the Oilers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0 The Dallas Stars are headed to AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL\u2019s Cowboys, next season as part of the Stadium Series. Can they set an attendance record?<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc5 How are World Junior rosters shaping up for Canada and the USA<\/a> with less than two months until the tournament begins in Minneapolis\u2013Saint Paul?<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 On the latest episode of \u201cThe Athletic Hockey Show,\u201d Mark Lazerus and Jesse Granger break down the top storylines<\/a> from the first month of the NHL season, including new blood rising in Utah, Anaheim, Chicago and Montreal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Matt Krohn \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s the best No. 1 pick to build around?\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re taking your questions here<\/a> for future mailbags and newsletters, and already there have been some great ones filtering in. Here\u2019s one from Philippe C. that I thought we could tackle here:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich 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?\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, with his seven goals and 18 points through 13 games the equivalent of a 44-goal, 114-point season. He\u2019s currently tied for sixth in NHL scoring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s miles ahead of 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard\u2019s 67-point second season last year in Chicago, so that\u2019s a fairly easy call at the moment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (2025\u2019s top pick) is a tougher one given he\u2019s only played 12 NHL games (and plays a different position), but he\u2019s been absolutely fantastic in the early going<\/a>. And McKenna\u2019s even harder given he\u2019s only just started his NCAA career<\/a> at Penn State.<\/p>\n

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

Scott\u2019s ranking: Celebrini, Bedard, Schaefer, McKenna<\/p>\n

Dom\u2019s ranking: Celebrini, Schaefer, Bedard, McKenna<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only ranking there I\u2019d feel good about is Celebrini\u2019s,\u201d Wheeler says. \u201cCould see the other three in any order.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgree with Scott,\u201d Luszczyszyn adds. \u201cCelebrini at 1 is the only clear-cut pick.\u201d<\/p>\n

So some good news for the Sharks as they try and make a move up the standings: Celebrini looks like the best of the \u201cnext\u201d ones.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see how this shifts in the years to come, though, as it\u2019s clear all four young Canadians are going to have a massive impact in the NHL and internationally.<\/p>\n

Your MirTrivia Answer \u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n

It took Wayne Gretzky just 464 games to get 1,100 points. Mario Lemieux wasn\u2019t that far behind at 550 games. But No. 3 is Mike Bossy, who made it there in 725 games, just one ahead of McDavid \u2013 in a much higher-scoring era.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But McDavid hit the 1,100 point mark 124 games faster than the next fastest active player: Sidney Crosby in 850 games.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Red Light?\u00a0Check out\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. Good morning, hockey…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271576,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[385,99],"class_list":["post-271575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}