QUICK HITS

* There have been slightly more goals (1,941) than at the same point in 2017-18 (1,920), for an average of 6.1 goals per game. Last season finished with an average of 5.9 goals per game, tied for the second-highest such total since 1996-97 behind 2005-06 (6.2 G/GP).

* Nine of the top 15 point-getters in the NHL are age 23 or younger, including each of the top four (Mikko Rantanen, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Mitchell Marner). Overall, 46.4% of players to appear in at least one game this season are age 25 or younger (375 of 808).

* Fifty-two players are averaging at least one point per game (min. 10 GP), the highest such total at the quarter mark of a season since 1995-96 (55). That list includes six players who joined new clubs during the offseason (John Tavares, Max Domi, Ryan O’Reilly, Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Mike Hoffman) and two rookies (Elias Pettersson and BradyTkachuk).

* There are the most players with at least 25 points through 317 games played since 2007-08 (16), and the most players with 10 goals since 1996-97 (37).

* There have been 144 comeback wins in 2018-19, the second-most through 317 games of a season in NHL history behind 2012-13 (146). That includes 61 instances of a team erasing a third-period deficit of at least one goal to win, also the second-most at this stage of a season in League history behind 2012-13 (62).

* There have been 73 total games requiring overtime, the most at this stage of a season in the three-on-three era. Nearly three quarters of the overtime games (69.9%; 51 of 73) have ended in the 5:00 overtime period, the highest percentage of games ending in overtime in the shootout era (previous high: 68.2%, 45 of 66 in 2015-16).

* Six teams who were not part of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs currently hold a postseason position (Eastern Conference: BUF, MTL and NYR; Western Conference: CGY, VAN and DAL). Overall, there has been playoff turnover of at least five clubs in 11 of the past 13 seasons.

GOALS GALORE

There have been 1,941 goals scored this season (including 22 shootout-deciding goals), up 13.9% over 2016-17 (1,704 goals, including 27 shootout-deciding goals).

* The average of 6.1 goals per game is the same as it was through 317 contests last season, which finished with an average of 5.9 goals per game, tied for the second-highest such total since 1996-97 behind 2005-06 (6.2 G/GP).

* The 2005-06 season had 2,007 goals through 317 games and is the only one since 1996-97 to feature more than 1,941 goals at this stage. That campaign finished with the most goals in NHL history (7,588), with Joe Thornton (29-96—125) topping a scoring list that included seven 100-point players to claim the Art Ross Trophy and teammate Jonathan Cheechoo (56) edging a group of five 50-goal scorers for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.

* There have been 25 instances this season of a team scoring at least seven goals in a game, the most at the quarter mark of a season since 1995-96 (31 in 266 GP).

* There have been 23 hat tricks in 2018-19, the same as at this point last season; the last season to feature more at the quarter mark was 2010-11 (26).

* Twenty-one different players have scored at least one hat trick in 2018-19; it marks the third season in the past 10 years to feature 20 or more different players with at least one hat trick at the quarter mark (also 23 in 2017-18 and 26 in 2010-11).

* The overall scoring increase is supported by similar trends seen in 2017-18. Goal scoring remains higher at all strengths (aside from shootouts) when compared to 2016-17. Overall, 73.2% of goals have been scored at even strength (1,420; up 13.0% vs. 1,257 in 2016-17); 22.4% have been scored via the power play (434; up 18.6% vs. 366 in 2016-17); and 3.3% of goals have come shorthanded (65; up 20.4% vs. 54 in 2016-17). The remaining 1.1% of tallies were shootout-deciding goals (22; down 18.5% vs. 27 in 2016-17).

YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE

Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, who celebrated his 20th birthday Nov. 12, leads all rookies in goals and points this season (12-7—19 in 17 GP) – highlighted by a 2-3—5 outing on Nov. 2 (7-6 OT W vs. COL).

* Pettersson, who made his NHL debut on Oct. 3, became the fifth player outside the NHL’s inaugural season to score 10 or more goals through his first 10 career games (10-6—16 in 10 GP), joining Odie Cleghorn in 1918-19 (12 w/ MTL), Don Murdoch in 1976-77 (11 w/ NYR), Dmitri Kvartalnov in 1992-93 (10 w/ BOS) andRob Gaudreau in 1992-93 (10 w/ SJS).

* Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi (born July 6, 2000) made history on opening night by becoming the first player born in the 2000s to skate in a regular-season NHL game. Four days later, Hurricanes forwardAndrei Svechnikov (born March 26, 2000) became the first player born in the 2000s to score a goal in a regular-season NHL game.

* Members of the 2018 NHL Draft class Rasmus Dahlin (No. 1), Svechnikov (No. 2), Kotkaniemi (No. 3) andBrady Tkachuk (No. 4) have each scored at least one goal and compiled eight or more points. The last time each of the top four picks scored a goal in the campaign immediately following their draft was 2009-10, whenJohn Tavares (No. 1), Victor Hedman (No. 2), Matt Duchene (No. 3) and Evander Kane (No. 4) combined for the feat.

HISTORIC STARTS

The 2018-19 campaign featured several historic season-opening streaks through October and November:

* Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the first player in NHL history to record a point on nine consecutive team goals to begin a season (4-5—9). The previous mark to open a season was seven consecutive team goals, set by Adam Oates in 1986-87 (w/ DET).

* Sebastian Aho collected at least one assist in each of the Hurricanes’ first 12 games to match the NHL record for longest season-opening assist streak (4-13—17 in 12 GP), a mark set by Wayne Gretzky in 1982-83 (7-20—27 w/ EDM) and matched by Ken Linseman in 1985-86 (2-19—21 w/ BOS). Aho set aHurricanes/Whalers franchise record for longest season-opening point streak, eclipsing the previous mark of 11 games set by Ron Francis in 1984-85 (6-8—14).

* Devils forward Kyle Palmieri became the first player in NHL history to score his team’s opening goal in four consecutive games to begin a season. He also became the third player to score a power-play goal in each of his team’s first four games in a season since the NHL officially began tracking the statistic in 1933-34, joiningDino Ciccarelli in 1986-87 (5 GP w/ MNS) and Bronco Horvath in 1959-60 (4 GP w/ BOS).

* Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews became the fifth player in NHL history to record multiple points in each of his team’s first seven games to open a season (10-6—16 in 7 GP), joining Mario Lemieux in 1992-93 (12 GP w/ PIT), Kevin Stevens in 1992-93 (8 GP w/ PIT), Wayne Gretzky in 1983-84 (7 GP w/ EDM) andMike Bossy in 1984-85 (7 GP w/ NYI).

* Mikko Rantanen (4-12—16 in 9 GP) and Nathan MacKinnon (8-7—15 in 9 GP) became the first teammates in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history to begin a season on simultaneous point streaks of nine games. It marked the 14th time in NHL history, and second time in as many years, that teammates began a season with simultaneous point streaks of nine or more games; Lightning duo Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkosopened with 11-game runs in 2017-18.

* The Predators earned wins in each of their first eight road games this season. Nashville became the third team in NHL history to record a season-opening road win streak of at least eight games, joining the Sabres in 2006-07 (10-0-0) and Devils in 2009-10 (9-0-0).

DEFENSEMEN SCORING AT SIGNIFICANT PACE

A total of 277 goals and 1,284 points have been recorded by defensemen (0.87 G/GP, 4.10 P/GP), with a pair of blueliners from Ontario-based clubs leading the way:

* Toronto’s Morgan Rielly leads NHL defensemen – and shares the seventh-most points in the entire League – with 26 points this season (9-17—26 in 21 GP). He had 3-9—12 through his first five games to become the second defenseman in NHL history with at least 12 points through his team’s opening five contests of a season – the only other instance came 101 years ago, when Harry Cameron had 9-6—15 for the Toronto Arenas in the League’s inaugural campaign.

* Rielly can become the sixth different defenseman in Maple Leafs franchise history – and first in the League’s expansion era (since 1967-68) – to conclude a season leading NHL defensemen outright in points. The only Toronto blueliners to do so: Harry Cameron (1917-18, 1920-21, 1921-22), Hap Day (1924-25, 1925-26, 1927-28), Babe Pratt (1943-44, 1945-46), Jimmy Thomson (1947-48) and Red Kelly (1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63).

* Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot ranks second among NHL defensemen with 24 points this season (5-19—24 in 21 GP). His 24 points are the most by a Senators blueliner through the first 21 team games in a season, one more than Erik Karlsson had in 2015-16 (5-18—23).

* Chabot can become the second defenseman in Senators franchise history to conclude a season leading all NHL blueliners outright in points; Karlsson did it four times (2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16). Two defensemen accomplished the feat with the original Ottawa Senators franchise: George Boucher (1922-23, 1923-24) and King Clancy (1929-30).

NO LEAD IS SAFE

There have been 144 comeback wins in 2018-19, the second-most through 317 games of a season in NHL history behind 2012-13 (146). That includes 61 instances of a team erasing a third-period deficit of at least one goal to win, also the second-most at this stage of a season in League history behind 2012-13 (62).

* Furthermore, there have been 48 instances of a team overcoming a multi-goal deficit to win a game in 2018-19, amounting to 15.1% of all games - the second-highest such percentage at the quarter mark of a season in NHL history behind four campaigns with 16.7%. Only one of those four instances came within the last 96 years — the 1986-87 season saw 35 of the first 210 games won by a team that trailed by multiple goals.

* There have been 19 tying goals scored in the final two minutes of regulation in 2018-19, the second-most at the quarter mark of any NHL season behind only 2000-01 (21 in 307 GP).

AN EARLY LOOK AT THE PLAYOFF PICTURE

A group of six teams currently hold a playoff spot after not being part of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Eastern Conference: BUF, MTL and NYR; Western Conference: CGY, VAN and DAL). Overall, there has been playoff turnover of at least five clubs in 11 of the past 13 seasons.

* Five teams outside a playoff position at the quarter mark of the 2017-18 season went on to earn a postseason berth (BOS, COL, MIN, PHI and SJS).

* In 2017-18, five teams reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs after being outside of the postseason picture at U.S. Thanksgiving – tied for the most in one campaign since 2000-01 (also 5 in 2003-04 and 2007-08). At least three teams have clinched a postseason berth after being outside the bracket on U.S. Thanksgiving in each of the past eight applicable seasons.

* Twelve teams remain within five points of a playoff position through 317 games, continuing a recent trend. In each of the past two seasons, at least 12 teams were within five points of a playoff spot as of U.S. Thanksgiving.