QUICK HITS
* The expansion Golden Knights lead the Pacific Division and Western Conference with a record of 28-10-2 (58 points). Elias notes that Vegas’ current points percentage (.725) is higher than the midpoint winning percentage of any expansion team in its inaugural season in either the NBA (since 1961-62), MLB (since 1961) or NFL/AFL (since 1960).

* The Lightning (29-9-3, 61 points) took control of first place in the NHL for the first time on Oct. 16 and have not relinquished the position since earning their 17th win on Nov. 28. Only one team in the past 81 years has finished with the League’s best record after missing the playoffs the previous season – the Rangers did so in 1993-94 en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

* Six different players have reached the 50-point mark, the most at the midpoint of a season in a decade – 10 players hit the plateau by mid-season in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

* Twenty-four players are averaging at least one point per game (min. 20 GP). The last season to finish with at least 24 players at 1.00 P/GP or better was 2006-07, when 32 players did so.

TRENDING TOWARD MORE PLAYOFF TURNOVER
Eight teams – including three division leaders (TBL, VGK, WPG) – who were not part of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs currently hold a postseason position (Eastern Conference: Lightning, Devils and Hurricanes; Western Conference: Golden Knights, Jets, Kings, Stars and Avalanche).

* Overall, 24 teams are within five points of a playoff berth, highlighted by races in two divisions where first place and last place are separated by 11 points or fewer – the Metropolitan Division (nine-point differential) and Central Division (11-point differential).

* Last season, seven teams made the playoffs after not qualifying in 2015-16 – matching the largest year-to-year change in NHL history.

* There has been a playoff turnover of at least five clubs in 10 of the past 12 seasons.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS CONTINUE TO RE-WRITE HISTORY
The expansion Golden Knights (28-10-2, 58 points) sit in first place in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference as they continue to re-write the record books, shattering benchmarks for new franchises in both the NHL and broader North American professional sports landscape. Vegas, who will play its 41st game Sunday, also sits just three points back of first place in the entire NHL.

* Elias notes that the Golden Knights (.725) are the only NHL franchise in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to carry a points percentage of at least .600 at the League’s midpoint of their inaugural season. No NHL club in the expansion era has finished its inaugural season with a points percentage of .500 or higher.

* In fact, Elias adds that Vegas’ current points percentage is higher than the midpoint winning percentage of any expansion team in its inaugural season in either the NBA (since 1961-62), MLB (since 1961) or NFL/AFL (since 1960).

* With 28 victories through 40 games, Vegas has already matched the third-highest win total by an NHL club in its inaugural season. Only four franchises finished their first campaign with more victories: the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim each posted 33 wins in 1993-94, while the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers had 31 victories apiece in 1967-68 when their entire division was comprised of expansion clubs.

* The Golden Knights own the top home record in the League, posting a 17-2-1 clip in their first 20 contests at T-Mobile Arena (35 points) – including active home win and point streaks of eight and nine games (8-0-1), respectively. Only five NHL teams concluded their inaugural season with more home wins: the Whalers (22) in 1979-80, the Kings (20) in 1967-68, the Blue Jackets (19) in 2000-01 and the Blues (18) in 1967-68.

* Vegas had its overall win and point streaks end at eight and 13 games (12-0-1), respectively, on Thursday – the longest such runs by a club in its inaugural NHL season. No team has posted a longer win or point streak this season.

* Vegas has a different player leading each of the three major offensive categories – JonathanMarchessault (16-23—39) has the most points, William Karlsson (21-14—35) leads in goals and David Perron (9-24—33) has collected the most assists.

* The Golden Knights have four players with at least 15 goals this season. Only six clubs in NHL history have had at least four 20-goal scorers in their inaugural season: the Canucks (6) and Sabres(5) each achieved the feat in 1970-71, while the Oilers (6), Nordiques (4), Whalers (4) and original Jets (4) all did so in 1979-80.

LIGHTNING LEAD THE WAY
After missing the playoffs in 2016-17, the Lightning (29-9-3, 61 points) have surged to the top of the standings this season, led by forwards Nikita Kucherov (26-32—58) and Steven Stamkos (17-33—50) – who rank first and fourth (tied) in League scoring, respectively – and backed by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (26-6-2).

* Tampa Bay took control of first place in the NHL for the first time on Oct. 16 and have not relinquished the position since earning their 17th win on Nov. 28. Only one team in the past 81 years has finished with the League’s best record after missing the playoffs the previous season – the Rangers did so in 1993-94 en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

* Kucherov, who has collected at least one point in 34 of 41 games this season, leads the League in both goals (tied) and points (26-32—58). Only one Lightning player has finished a season with the most points in the NHL – Martin St. Louis achieved the feat in 2003-04 (38-56—94 in 82 GP) and again in 2012-13 (17-43—60 in 48 GP).

* Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins (26), shutouts (6), goals-against average (2.04) and save percentage (.935), among goaltenders who have played at least 15 games. Since 1955-56, only four different goaltenders have finished a season at least tied for the League lead in each of those four categories: Jacques Plante in 1958-59 (w/ MTL), Ken Dryden in 1972-73 and 1975-76 (w/ MTL), Bernie Parent in 1973-74 (w/ PHI) and BobFroese in 1985-86 (w/ PHI).

OVECHKIN, CAPITALS CONTINUE PURSUIT OF MORE HARDWARE
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin shares the League lead with 26 goals as he pursues another Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, aiming to become just the second player in NHL history to at least share the League lead in goals in seven different seasons.

* Ovechkin, who this season has leapfrogged six players to move into 20th place on the NHL’s all-time goals list (584), aims to become just the sixth player in NHL history to record 30 goals in 13 or more consecutive seasons at any point in his career – only Mike Gartner (15), Jaromir Jagr (15), Wayne Gretzky (13), PhilEsposito (13) and Bobby Hull (13) have done so. Gartner and Gretzky are the only players to achieve the feat in each of their first 13 seasons.

* In fact, Ovechkin would become just the 10th player in League history to total at least 13 different 30-goal seasons (consecutive or otherwise).

* The Capitals (25-13-3, 53 points), who have posted the League’s top record in each of the past two seasons, sit atop the Metropolitan Division and eight points back of the Lightning (29-9-3, 61 points) for first place in the NHL. Since the inception of the Presidents’ Trophy in 1985-86, no team has won the award in three consecutive seasons.

ROOKIES ON THE RISE
The rookie scoring race is led by three players who each have reached the 30-point mark this season – Brock Boeser of the Canucks (22-17—39 in 38 GP), Mathew Barzal of the Islanders (13-24—37 in 42 GP) and Clayton Keller of the Coyotes (14-18—32 in 43 GP).

* Boeser, who shares fourth in the NHL with 22 goals in 2017-18, sits eight goals shy of joining Pavel Bure (34 in 1991-92) and Trevor Linden (30 in 1988-89) as the only Canucks rookies to score 30 goals in a season. Bure (34-26—60) and Ivan Hlinka (23-37—60 in 1981-82) share the single-season franchise record for points by a rookie.

* Four rookies hit the 60-point mark in 2016-17, including Calder Trophy winner AustonMatthewswho led all first-year players in goals and points (40-29—69 in 82 GP). It marked the 14th time in League history – and first since 1992-93 – that at least four rookies each recorded 60+ points in a season.

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.