It might be hard to believe, but November is already here. With this, the first month of the NHL season has officially passed.
Normally, at this point in the season, fans are starting to get a clearer idea of which teams are likely to make or miss the playoffs. However, this is certainly not the case in the Eastern Conference right now.
Every team in the Eastern Conference currently has a points percentage of .500 or better. That has never happened by Nov. 4 in the history of NHL conferences, which were established in the 1974-75 season.
Even the Philadelphia Flyers, which are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, have a 6-5-1 record and .542 points percentage.
The Boston Bruins once had a 3-6-0 record after losing six straight games in regulation. Yet, they have now improved to a 7-7-0 record after winning each of their last three games. Going by points percentage, they’re last in the East at .500.
The Tampa Bay Lightning also struggled out of the gate, but they have turned things around. After starting the campaign 1-4-2, the Bolts are now 6-4-2 after winning five straight.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins, which many expected to be among the NHL’s worst clubs, have instead been one of the league’s top teams early on. They have an 8-4-2 record and are second in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Every Eastern Conference team having a .500 points percentage or better has also led to the standings being very close early on.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Lightning, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Bruins each have 14 points.
Meanwhile, the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Flyers round out the Eastern Conference standings with 13 points each.
At the top of the conference, the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Penguins have 18 points each. The Habs have played only 12 games and have a .750 points percentage, while New Jersey and Detroit have played 13, and Pittsburgh has played 14.
Five points separate first and last in the East, so things are incredibly packed, and one hot or cold streak can completely change a team’s position in the standings.
On Nov. 4, 2024, the Penguins, Islanders, Sabres, Canadiens and Flyers all had points percentages below .500. The year before that, the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Pens and Senators were in that category.
The Western Conference, meanwhile, does not have the same parity.
The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets lead the way with 19 and 18 points, respectively. While the East has six teams with a points percentage of more than .600, the West has seven. And five squads sit below .500: the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames.
With all of this, there is no question that parity in the Eastern Conference is incredibly high right now. While things will almost certainly change on that front, fans are being treated to some exciting, very competitive hockey early on.
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