The 2024-25 season will reach the quarter mark Saturday, Nov. 23 (328 GP); Storylines and stats below are through 314 games played; the October Recap includes more storylines from the First Quarter.

77.6% of goals scored at even strength

Even-Strength Scoring at Highest Rate in 50+ Years: The goals-per-game rate stands at 6.1 or higher for a third straight season, the only such stretch in the past 30 campaigns. Of the 1,909 goals scored in regulation and overtime, 77.6% have come at even-strength – the highest such rate in 51 seasons (last higher: 79.0% in 1972-73). League-wide save percentage stands at .902 or lower at this stage in consecutive seasons for the first time in the past 30 campaigns (also .902 through 314 GP in 2023-24). Only three seasons since 1994-95 have ended with a League-wide save percentage of .902 or lower: 2005-06 (.901 in 1,230 GP), 1995-96 (.898 in 1,066 GP) and 1994-95 (.901 in 624 GP).

Jets flying high atop standings

Jets Off to Soaring Start: Winnipeg kickstarted 2024-25 by matching a franchise record for longest winning streak (8-0-0) and establishing a new benchmark for longest road winning streak. (7-0-0), part of a start that saw them post the best 15-game start to a season in League history (14-1-0) and become the fastest team ever to 15 wins (16 GP). The Jets recorded 16 straight regular-season victories dating to 2023-24 to match the second longest winning streak in NHL history (spanning seasons or single season; behind the Penguins: 17-0-0 in 1992-93). The Jets lead the League with a plus-34 goal differential, the third highest by a team through 19 games of a season over the past 29 campaigns, behind the 2005-06 Senators (+49) and 2022-23 Bruins (+40), who went on to set single-season NHL records for wins (65) and standings points (135).

Great 8 closing in on the Great One

The Gr8 Chase: After celebrating his 39th birthday three weeks before the start of his 20th NHL season, Alex Ovechkin accelerated his pursuit of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record (894) by becoming the oldest player in League history to be the first to 15 goals in a season and the oldest ever to lead the NHL in goals outright at any point of a campaign. Ovechkin required only 18 contests to accumulate 15 goals, tied for the second fastest he has ever hit the mark (behind 15 GP in 2009-10, at age 24) – and 33 games faster than he did so last season. Though he is sidelined due to injury (with 868 career goals, 27 from breaking Gretzky’s record and on pace to hit 894 faster than “The Great One” did), Ovechkin still sits tied for the NHL goals lead and is also tied with teammate Connor McMichael, Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov and Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen for the most multi-goal performances in 2024-25 (4).

Race for the “Rocket”

Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy Race: Seven of the 24 players with a double-digit goal total in 2024-25 are within three goals of Alex Ovechkin (15), Leon Draisaitl (15) and Sam Reinhart (15) for the League lead – Ovechkin is the only one among the top 24 who has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. Eight players have led the League in goals this month (tied or outright), including as many as five on a single day (Nov. 5-6 & Nov. 13). At this stage in 2023-24, eventual “Rocket” winner Auston Matthews had led for nearly 60% of the season (tied or outright) – and held that lead for 82% of the campaign overall (including a spot as the outright leader for the final 122 days, from his 24th goal onward).

First-timers in the mix for Art Ross

Art Ross Trophy Race: Reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon became the fastest player in Avalanche team history to 30 points in a season and is tied with Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov for the League lead – the two pace a group of 19 players on pace for a 100-point season. Included in that cohort are seven players tracking toward a 120-point campaign, including frontrunners Kaprizov (146 points), MacKinnon (139 points), Martin Necas (133 points) and Nikita Kucherov (132 points). Kucherov is the only one of the top six scorers who has won the Art Ross Trophy.

McDavid’s magical pace to 1,000 points

McDavid Among Legends at 1,000 Points: Oilers captain Connor McDavid made history during the first quarter of the season when he became the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. Currently tied for 13th place in the Art Ross Trophy race – in a similar range with where he was through Edmonton’s 21st game last season when he finished third overall with 132 points – McDavid now sits 37 points away from overtaking both Mark Messier (3rd; 1,034) and Jari Kurri (2nd; 1,043) on the Oilers’ all-time scoring list – one topped by Wayne Gretzky (1,669 points). On pace for 109 points in 2024-25, McDavid could put himself in the running to become the second player to reach both the 1,000 and 1,100-point milestones in the same season, after Gretzky in 1984-85.

#NHLstats with NHL EDGE

Fans on the EDGE of Their Seats: Teams have played to 96% capacity crowds, tied for the second-highest rate at this stage of a season on record (behind 97% in 2012-13 and 2014-15). NHL EDGE data shows that those fans have watched players skate more than 29,191.66 total miles (equivalent to more than 1,113 marathons), seen the hardest shot on record broken twice in three days (Michael Kesselring 103.77 mph on Oct. 24, followed by Tage Thompson 104.69 mph on Oct. 26) and seen a 34-year-old, two-time Stanley Cup champion clock the fastest skating speed of the season (Steven Stamkos: 24.20 mph on Nov. 11).

Masked men making their mark

Records Are Falling in the Crease: Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck (a two-time recipient) tops the NHL in wins so far in 2024-25, with his 13 victories tied for the second-most by a goaltender through his first 15 appearances over the past 50 seasons. A candidate to represent the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, Hellebuyck (288 W in 520 GP) has the potential to become the fastest American goaltender in NHL history to reach 300 career wins before that tournament (current record holder: Ryan Miller in 566 GP). Earlier this season, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Panthers and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning became the fastest goaltenders in NHL history to reach 400 and 300 wins, respectively. Another approaching milestone in net is in the Blues’ crease, where Jordan Binnington needs one win to set a new franchise record – he is currently tied with his agent, Mike Liut, atop the list.

Flyers rookie leads the way

High-Flying Rookies: 28 players have scored their first NHL goal so far this season, including Flyers forward Matvei Michkov (6-9—15 in 18 GP) and Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake (5-2—7 in 19 GP), the top two on the rookie goals list. Right behind them in rookie goals are Logan Stankoven (4-11—15 in 18 GP) – who is tied with Michkov for the rookie points lead – and reigning No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini (4-3—7 in 10 GP). Michkov (66 points) is on pace for the highest-scoring rookie campaign by a Flyers player in more than 30 years, while Stankoven (68 points) is on track to set a single-season Stars team record for points by a rookie and become the highest-scoring rookie for the franchise since Mike Modano (75 points in 1989-90 w/ MNS). On defense, Canadiens blueliner Lane Hutson (0-11—11 in 19 GP) tops all rookies in assists (tied) and is currently on pace for 47 points – which would be the second-highest scoring campaign by a rookie defenseman in Canadiens history, behind Chris Chelios (64 points in 1984-85).

Changing of the guard?

Gen Z is Making Moves: The 2024-25 campaign has already seen the debut of the 8,600th player in League history (current total: 8,609) and could mark the last season in which Millennials (51%) outnumber Gen Z (49%). There are currently more Gen Z skaters (373) in the NHL than Millennials (365). Millennials (47) hold the edge over Gen Z (29) in the number of goaltenders.

Best-on-best is on its way

4 Nations Face-Off Less Than 3 Months Away: With the announcement of full rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off in less than two weeks, a look at notable performers still eligible for selection in December. Mikael Granlund (1.09 P/GP), the longest tenured active NHL player from Finland, is one of three Finnish players averaging at least a point per game in 2024-25. Jesper Bratt leads all Swedish players in assists (17), points (27) and points per game (1.23). Marc-Andre Fleury (4-0-1) is the only Canadian netminder without a regulation defeat in 2024-25 (min. 1 GS). Jack Hughes (8-17—25 in 22 GP) paces eligible Americans in points, while Kyle Connor (12 in 19 GP) and Cole Caufield (12 in 19 GP) are tied for the most goals among that cohort.

Teams finding a way to end it in OT

Trends Show Overtime Games Ending Before Shootout: 77.8% of games past regulation have been decided in 3-on-3 overtime, the highest rate ever at this stage of a season (ahead of 71.9% in 2022-23) and +11% relative to the highest end-of-season rate in history (69.9% in 2023-24). There have only been 14 shootouts in 2024-25, the fewest through 314 games since the tiebreaker was introduced in 2005-06 (next closest: 18 in 2022-23).

Scanning through the standings

A Shake-Up in the Standings: The Wild (2nd), Devils (4th) and Capitals (5th) occupy three of the top-five positions in the overall standings in 2024-25 after all ranking among the bottom half of the League in 2023-24 (WSH: 17th; MIN: 20th; NJD: 23rd). The Wild (125), Capitals (116) and Devils (104), as well as the Jets (138), Flames (102) and Ducks (82) are all on pace for 20+ point improvements over last season. When comparing consecutive seasons of similar length, only one campaign has seen six teams register 20+ point improvements at season’s end (6 in 1974-75).

Standings Squeeze: In the Eastern Conference, the lowest-ranked playoff team and the first team outside the bracket are within two points of each other. There also is only a five-point differential between last place in the East and a playoff spot – a first in either conference at this stage of a season under the Wild Card format (since 2013-14). In the Western Conference, six teams currently outside of a playoff position sit within five points of the team that occupies the final Wild Card spot and seven points separate last place in the conference and the team currently holding that final playoff spot.