Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane is in elite company when it comes to stringing together points.

Kane also has the longest NHL scoring streak by an American-born player, and is closing in on Sidney Crosby's 25-game streak for the Pittsburgh Penguins from Nov. 5 to Dec. 28, 2010.

When the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; CSN-CH, FS-TN), Kane will have the opportunity to extend a streak that already has defied the odds.

Jaromir Jagr leads the Florida Panthers with 18 points in 21 games. If the 43-year-old is Florida's leading scorer at the end of the season, he will break his record of being the oldest player to lead a team in scoring in NHL history.

Jagr set the record when he led the New Jersey Devils with 67 points in 2013-14.

There are a number of important milestones within reach of Jagr, who has 730 goals and 1,820 points in 1,571 NHL games.

A quarter of the 2015-16 NHL regular season is complete, and a look at the numbers reveals some rather interesting statistics at the individual, team and League levels.

Here are a dozen of the most compelling:

When the Dallas Stars played the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, it was a game between the NHL's two most improved teams.

It ended with a 3-1 Dallas victory, denying Buffalo a chance to go over .500 for the first time since Jan. 24, 2013.

Buffalo's 8-9-1 record is a big improvement from the three previous seasons, when it stood at 6-11-1, 3-14-1, and 3-13-2. More importantly, it is good enough to be squarely in the mix in the tight Atlantic Division.

In terms of goal differential, the Stars' two-goal victory earned them the distinction of being the only team to improve by a wider margin than the Sabres this season, relative to where teams were on Nov. 18, 2014.

It is very hard to compete in today's NHL beyond age 35. Even if a player can contribute, most teams prefer to invest roster space in a young, developing, more affordable player. Only the very best players can continue to remain a factor into his late 30s.

There are 40 skaters and two goalies 35 or older (as of Nov. 11). There are 33 players age 20 or younger. Remaining in the League past age 35 is only slightly less difficult than breaking in as a teenager.

There are several players who manage to get his name on the score sheet past age 35, including three who are leading their team in scoring: Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, and Florida Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr, who at 43 last February is more than four years older than the League's next oldest player, Dan Boyle of the New York Rangers, who turned 39 in July.

One of the most exciting rule changes this season has been the transition from 4-on-4 overtime to 3-on-3. Not only have there been some dazzling displays of skill, but the majority of games have been decided before reaching the shootout portion of the tiebreaking process.

Though few knew exactly what to expect with the change, there was a general belief that scoring would rise and more games would be decided in the overtime period. The rate at which each has occurred is likely shocking to even the most ardent supporters of the switch.

The Columbus Blue Jackets dug themselves an early hole with an eight-game losing streak to open the season.

During that stretch, the Blue Jackets were outscored 37-15, fired their coach and bore little resemblance to a team many predicted would be a serious contender for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But, it may be way too early to write off these Blue Jackets, who have a new coach in John Tortorella and have won back-to-back games.

Columbus has a strong starting goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky, an experienced and accomplished coaching staff, and a solid young core of players, highlighted by Ryan Johansen, who could someday supplant Rick Nash as the Blue Jackets' best all-time player.

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is closing in fast on Sergei Fedorov for the most goals scored by a Russian-born player in the NHL.

Ovechkin, who has scored in five of his six games this season, needs three goals to tie Fedorov's total of 483, which he scored during an 18-year career spent mostly with the Detroit Red Wings but also featured stops with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Capitals. Fedorov, who left the NHL at 39, played 1,248 NHL games.

But how do these two legendary Russians compare when measured head-to-head with the various tools available through the use of analytics?

The Montreal Canadiens have won seven straight games, a season-starting streak never before accomplished in the history of the team.

They have scored at least three goals in each game and have not allowed more than two, leading to an impressive 23-7 goals differential.

With its hot start, Montreal has established itself as the team to beat, with more than just its one well-known weapon: goaltender Carey Price.

Rob Vollman is a pioneer in the field of hockey analytics and the co-author of "Hockey Abstract." His innovations include Player Usage Charts on Home Plate Save Percentage. He will contribute a regular column to NHL.com throughout the season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs retooled this summer, trading forward Phil Kessel and signing coach Mike Babcock to an eight-year, $50 million contract. The changes opened the door for other players to emerge.

Forward Nazem Kadri, a secondary player for the past few seasons, could be among those who thrive once the rebuild in Toronto reaches its later stages.

In 10 seasons as coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Babcock was known for demanding possession-focused play. A quick look at the NHL's enhanced statistics can provide some interesting clues that show which Maple Leafs might thrive in a similar system.

In particular, Kadri's ability to drive possession, draw penalties, and generate scoring could make him a perfect match for Babcock's philosophy.