Although the National Hockey League is only in its third week, there are–unsurprisingly–already early leaders, given that 2,542 games will be played in total over the next five months in regular season alone. So far, every team has played several games since the opening night on October 3, and a few have started to pull away from the pack.
First off, at the top of the standings, are the Toronto Maple Leafs with 12 points—or six wins and one loss—and the Nashville Predators with 10 points—or five wins and one loss. Closely behind them are the Anaheim Ducks, who are currently doing better than expected for the 2018-2019 season, and the Carolina Hurricanes. Both are tied for third with nine points apiece.
Interestingly, neither of the two Stanley Cup finalists from last season are in the top five teams, which actually consists of 13 teams due to ties in points, and the Stanley Cup champions—the Washington Capitals—have only five points with a record of 2-2-1 thus far.
All in all, while the NHL season is only weeks into its over six month run, the early games have given a startling prediction for the ups and downs to come.