Breaking Down the Most Interesting Statistics in the 2014-15 NHL Season

The NHL is much more of a numbers game than it was in previous years, as technology, statisticians and readily available data make it easy to quantify certain parts of the game. Advanced stats take things to the next level, and that particular area is an ever-emerging frontier. 

The NHL season is just about at the quarter mark, and there have been a number of interesting statistics thus far. Certain players are scoring at an amazing rate, teams are setting franchise-best numbers in the standings and the list just goes on and on.

There are so many numbers that could be chosen, and if I miss some, please point them out. But here are some of the most interesting statistics from the 2014-15 campaign to date.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Penalty Kill Streak

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For the majority of the 2014-15 season, teams couldn't score against the Pittsburgh Penguins on the power play even if their lives depended on it. The Penguins were perfect on the PK until November 11. And during that span, they successfully killed off 37 power plays in a row.

The NHL record for consecutive penalties killed in a row is 53, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and that was set by the Washington Capitals during the 1999-00 season. The St. Louis Blues came close to beating that during the 2011-12 season, but they ultimately came up short.

The Penguins were 16 successful penalty kills away from the record, but the New York Rangers made sure that history was not be made by Pittsburgh.

The New Jersey Devils' Usage of Cory Schneider

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The New Jersey Devils have played 22 games this season, and they have an abysmal 9-10-3 record and 21 points. Cory Schneider has started 21 of the 22 games, and he has faced 557 shots and surrendered 51 goals.

When you consider how overworked Schneider is, it is amazing to see that he has a 2.56 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. A lot of people may be giving Schneider grief, but New Jersey management should be reconsidering how it is conducting business.

Schneider has been a platoon goaltender his entire career, and the organization has thrown him to the wolves in 2014-15. He's a quality goaltender that should be able to start 60 games a season. But carting him out for 21 of the first 22 is just a really bad showing on the part of the Devils. 

If the Devils want to make the playoffs this season, they will obviously need better goaltending. But I think it is time to get the poor guy a real NHL backup. At this point, there are a number of options to choose from, and even signing Ilya Bryzgalov would certainly be a heckuva lot better than using Keith Kinkaid or Scott Clemmensen.

Points-Per-Game Production of Calgary Flames' Blue Line

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Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Kris Letang, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban and Shea Weber. If this was a game of Jeopardy, you would probably say, "Who are top offensive NHL defensemen?" The answer would be valid, but none of the listed players currently lead the NHL in points by rearguards. 

The top two defenders in terms of scoring both wear the same sweater, and it is a uniform that features vibrant colors. Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie—who have 24 points in 24 games for a 1.00 points-per-game average and 20 points in 24 games for a 0.84 points-per-game, respectively—lead all defenders in points.

When I looked it up at first, I had to do a double take. And I will venture a guess that it is something that most fanatics didn't have in their parlay betting pool.

In many ways, the Calgary Flames have been an intriguing team in 2014-15, and the production from their backend has to be the most notable statistic associated with their franchise this season.

Pekka Rinne's Turnaround

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After having a career year in 2011-12, things had been going completely downhill for Pekka Rinne. Things were so bad for the Nashville Predators' goalie that it looked like he wasn't a true elite player.

During Rinne's last two seasons, he won 25-of-67 possible games, with a complete record of 25-26-11 and a paltry 2.60 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

Rinne has been on fire to start 2014-15, and his numbers are just off the charts when you look at where he was the last two seasons. Although injuries and illness played a role, there were times that, when healthy, Rinne just looked off.

That hasn't been the case this season, and his complete turnaround has led to him accruing some interesting statistics. 

Rinne has a 15-3-1 record and 1.86 goals-against average, and he's saved 494 of 530 shots for a .932 save percentage. He also has two shutouts, and the Predators' franchise netminder is on pace to demolish his previous career-best totals.

If he maintains his current pace, Rinne will finish the season with a 56-11-4 record with a sub-2.00 goals-against average. Those numbers are a bit high, but surpassing the 43-win mark—his all-time best—is certainly within reach.

The Buffalo Sabres' Fate Being Decided in the First Period

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The Buffalo Sabres are the NHL's worst team, and it is very likely that the franchise will draft Connor McDavid if the balls drop in their favor at the NHL draft lottery.

This season, the Sabres have been a very straightforward team, and all of their games have been decided in the first period. Buffalo has been perfect in all games in that it led after one period, and it has lost in all games in which it trailed after one period.

It has pretty much been go big or go home for the Sabres when they start a game this season, and I wonder how much of this statistic plays on the team's psyche.

Tyler Seguin's Goal-Scoring Pace

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Tyler Seguin is currently in the middle of the greatest season of his young career, and he could make history this season. The Dallas Stars' star has found the back of the net 17 times in 22 games, and he has a shooting percentage of 20 percent.

It is an amazing feat, and he is currently the NHL's goal-scoring king.

After seeing those stats, you might be thinking, "Gee...Alex Ovechkin had 20 goals in 22 games at this point last year, so what is the big deal?" You would be right in pointing that out—and also mentioning that Alex Steen had 19 at this point last year—but Seguin's production this season has been unprecedented.

The budding young scorer tallied 37 goals in 80 games last season, and that put him at a pace of scoring 0.46 goals per game. Right now, Seguin is producing at a 0.77 clip, and he's on pace to finish with 63 goals.

It remains to be seen whether he will reach that mark, but his amazing surge this year is very impressive when you consider that team captain Jamie Benn has had a slow start to the season.

The New York Islanders' Amazing Start

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John Tavares should garner Hart Trophy consideration.

How about them Islanders? Really...how about them New York Icelanders? The soon-to-be Brooklyn residents are having an amazing season, and it appears to be their way of extending a giant middle glove finger to the politicians of Nassau County that prevented the team from finding a viable long-term solution to keep the team on Long Island.

The Islanders not only have the NHL's fourth-best record at 16-6-0 for 32 points in 22 games, but they have also done it in record time. 

According to former Bleacher Report scribe Daniel Friedman, the Islanders have never won 15 of their first 21 games. Since sharing that statistic, the Isles have won another game. And according to Jeff Cappelini of CBS New York, it took the team until January 7 to pick up the 16th victory of the year last season.

What is even more impressive than those stats is that the Islanders are actually a better team when they are put down. Thus far, the Isles have a .875 winning percentage in games that they trail after the first, and that is better than their .667 winning percentage in games that they led after the first period.

No matter how you slice it, the Islanders are for real, and they certainly have brought some excitement back to New York when it comes to being a competitive hockey town.

The Kid Is All RIght

There are plenty of reasons why the Washington Capitals fired general manager George McPhee, and the dealing of Filip Forsberg has to be one of the primary causes. In a completely shortsighted move, McPhee moved a talented prospect in exchange for Martin Erat.

Erat has since left the Capitals, and Forsberg is currently dominating the NHL. Not only is Forsberg No. 1 in all rookie scoring with 10 goals and 23 points, but he also ranks 12th among all NHL players. In addition, Forsberg is a plus-19, and he has six points on the power play.

Forsberg keeps finding ways to impress, and this nifty move against the Edmonton Oilers on Thanksgiving night will likely make his highlight reel for the 2014-15 season.

The Predators' stud scorer has to be the favorite to win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, and it will be interesting to see how he will perform the rest of the season.

St. Louis Blues' Treacherous Trio

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The St. Louis Blues have the NHL's best line through the first quarter of the season, and it contains a number of unlikely candidates. Prior to this season, Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko were looked upon as solid secondary scoring forwards that were in the process of maturing.

A select few knew about Jori Lehtera, but everyone should know about the Blues' treacherous trio at this point of the season.

Tarasenko is in the middle of his big coming out party, and he ranks 10th among all scorers with 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points. Schwartz is 17th on the list, and he has eight goals and 13 helpers for 21 points. Nine spots later sits the line's setup man, as Lehtera has 13 assists and 20 points.

The line has been an offensive juggernaut with a combined 64 points. In addition, the trio has been very solid in their own end. Schwartz and the "Lehterasenko Brothers," a nickname coined on Twitter by Matt Riegler, have a combined plus/minus of plus-36. That is a testament to the well-roundedness of the line.

The dominance of this line has been completely unexpected, and it has been a driving force for the St. Louis Blues.

Renaissance of Rick Nash

It is fair to say that through the first quarter of the season, there have only been a handful of offensive players better than the New York Rangers' Rick Nash.

The often maligned and criticized former Columbus Blue Jacket is on pace to have the best season of his career, and he's looked drastically different than the forward that wore No. 61 for the Rangers last season.

A concussion suffered at the elbow of Brad Stuart really impacted Nash's 2013-14 season, and the power forward tallied 26 goals in 65 games. He finished the season with a 0.60 points-per-game average, and it was the second lowest of his entire career.

During the 2014 offseason, Nash got into shape, and the fruits of his labor are paying off in spades.

For the first time in a long time, Nash is averaging over a point per game, and he's putting the puck in the back of the net at an alarming pace. The Brampton, Ontario, native has 15 goals in 21 games, and it is good enough for second among NHL leaders.

Nash is scoring at a rate of 0.71 goals per game, and that is the highest total of his career. The Rangers' leading scorer is bound to level out at some point because a 20 percent shooting average is hard to maintain, but don't expect him to completely fall off the map.

Nash is currently on pace to finish with 60 goals and 90 points, but it remains to be seen if he can keep up his current goal-scoring pace and stay healthy for the entire season.

Calgary Flames' Juggernaut Offense

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The Calgary Flames have been an impressive story this season. The Flames have the league's 11th-best winning percentage—higher than the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins—and the league's fifth-best offense through 24 games.

It would appear that the extra two games give them a leg up, but they are being lauded for a statistic that measures average production per game, so it is valid to use it against teams with fewer games played. 

Of all the teams in the league, only the Penguins (3.52 goals per game), the Tampa Bay Lightning (3.48), the Toronto Maple Leafs (3.18) and the Islanders (3.04) are better offensively than Calgary.

It has been a very unexpected start. And at this point, it will be interesting if and how long the Flames can sustain this progress.

Jakub Jagr...I Mean Voracek

There is no word to adequately explain Jakub Voracek's performance in 2014-15 to date. Voracek has been a good NHL player who has a career high of 62 points, but his play to date has been Sidney Crosby-like.

You could even say that he's looked like a fellow countryman that wore the same uniform Crosby did, and the one Voracek currently sports.

During the lockout year, Voracek looked like he was turning a corner, and he tallied 46 points in 48 games. He followed it up with 62 points in 82 games, but that was a regression in points per game by 0.20. This year, only Crosby has more points than Voracek, and the cheeky Czech has eight goals, 22 assists and 30 points in 21 games.

That is good enough for 1.43 points per game, and it is a statistic that is just mind-boggling. It is pretty crazy that the Philadelphia Flyers are on the outside looking in despite the play of Voracek and Claude Giroux. I'll be interested to see if No. 93 can keep his game going like this for the rest of the season.

Minnesota Wild Like Chasing the Puck

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The Minnesota Wild have a 12-9-0 record and 24 points through 21 games. The Wild have a decent offense that is scoring 2.71 goals per game. Defensively, they are only allowing 2.29 goals per game.

The most interesting factoid about the team this season is that it has played better when the opposition takes the game to it. Minnesota has won every game during which the opposition has outshot it, and the Wild have won just over half of the game during which they have outshot their opponents.

Generally, when a team controls the play, it is likely to win more games. But the Wild are proving that doesn't always happen in 2014.

Stats in this piece via Hockey-Reference.com, NHL.com and The Hockey News unless otherwise noted.

Did I miss something? Leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter @TomUrtzJr.