Stars emerge in NHL season's first quarter

The first quarter of the NHL season has brought a few surprises, while a lot has gone according to script.

Through 21 games for the Oilers, Connor McDavid has been every bit as good as advertised. The 19-year-old captain leads the Art Ross Trophy race with nine goals and 27 points in 21 games and has set a pace of 105 points in his sophomore season.

The Chicago Blackhawks continue to be the class of the West, even though they've dropped two in a row. But keep an eye on last year's conference finalist, the San Jose Sharks, and the charging Los Angeles Kings, who are riding a four-game win streak without goalie Jonathan Quick.

In the East, the usual suspects have skated to the top. The defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals, and the Tampa Bay Lightning, despite losing Steven Stamkos to a knee ailment that may cost him the remainder of the regular season, all look good.

So do the Montreal Canadiens, who are off to a hot start for the second straight year, and the New York Rangers, who have a slim lead on Pittsburgh and Washington in the Metropolitan Division.

Here are seven more storylines to recap the first seven weeks:

Weber is wonderful

Montreal goalie Carey Price's knee is healthy. That was evident in the World Cup of Hockey and has continued with his league-tying 11 victories to start the season. Price also has a .943 save percentage. 

But Shea Weber, under enormous pressure after being acquired in exchange for the popular P.K. Subban following a poor playoff performance with Nashville last spring, also has been excellent in the early going. His eight goals and 17 points have him on pace to set career highs in both categories. Not be overlooked is his plus-16 rating.

Meanwhile, Subban has looked comfortable offensively in his new surroundings, with five goals and 14 points in 19 games. But he's an alarming minus-eight amid Nashville's middling 9-7-3 start.

Crosby, Murray back in a big way

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby also has built off his outstanding World Cup effort with a league-leading 14 goals in 14 games, even after missing the first six because of a concussion.

Rookie goalie Matt Murray, who played a key role in the Penguins' Stanley Cup run last spring, has overcome the hand injury he suffered in the World Cup to continue his fine form. The Thunder Bay, Ont., native has gone 6-1-0 with a .945 save percentage.

Scheifele, Laine soar

All eyes in Winnipeg were on Jets rookie Patrik Laine, and he hasn't disappointed with 12 goals in 22 games. But the headline with the Jets has been how well 23-year-old centre Mark Scheifele has played.

• Scheifele shining after a little help from Hawerchuk

The native of Kitchener, Ont. has 11 goals and 23 points and is in the thick of the scoring race, just three points behind McDavid.

Hossa has still got it

While plenty of early attention rightly has been focused on McDavid and the other youngsters making an impact (there are 40 players in the league age 20 and under), Blackhawks veteran Marian Hossa has been the poster boy for the old guys.

Hossa, 37, has scored 11 times in 20 games, including three game-winners. There only are eight players older than him still performing in the NHL: Jaromir Jagr, Matt Cullen, Shane Doan, Mark Streit, Zdeno Chara, Jarome Iginla, Shawn Thornton and Andrei Markov. 

Johnson saves Flames

After a 5-10-1 start during which new No. 1 goalie Brian Elliott struggled, the Calgary Flames have been rescued by Chad Johnson. He has four wins in five starts, including a pair of shutouts.

While the Flames have performed better of late, the hot starting Oilers and Vancouver Canucks have stumbled, and the Jets have been inconsistent. It will be interesting to see how the second quarter plays out for the four Canadian clubs in the West.

The Jacket fits

All the hype about Toronto Maple Leafs teenager Auston Matthews, Laine, McDavid and even Murray has allowed Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Zack Werenski to fly somewhat under the radar.

The 19-year-old already has five goals and 15 points in 18 games from his blue-line position, building off his impressive Calder Cup-winning run with the AHL Lake Erie Monsters last spring. His ice time is increasing with Columbus.

The oldest rookie

Bob Kaser has spent 38 years as a play-by-play man in the minor leagues, including the last 17 with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.

With Red Wings radio voice Ken Kal hindered by an undisclosed illness, Detroit summoned Kaser for five games this month and he came through with flying colours.

"I got a text from [Red Wings forward Tomas] Tatar saying, 'Welcome to the big leagues, kid,'" Kaser said.

Congratulations, Bob.