Hot starts by Vegas and Boston and a historically bad start for San Jose are among early NHL trends

Nearly a month into the NHL season, Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record looks safer than Edmonton’s playoff chances, there might be a challenger for the worst team in league history and the Stanley Cup hangover is nowhere to be seen in Las Vegas. Alex Ovechkin off to an uncharacteristically slow start, the Oilers’ terrible goaltending and the San Jose Sharks losing their first 11 games are among some of the disturbing early trends. “There’s a few teams that are firing on all cylinders, but I think there’s quite a few teams that are, like us, trying to find their game and be consistent at it.” OVI’S 2 IN 10 Ovechkin has scored just twice — once on a power play and once into an empty net — matching his lowest total through 10 games in his nearly two-decade career with the Capitals. “If you have that kind of slump when you can’t score, you just have to work and find a way to create chances for yourself, for your teammates and find a way to put the puck in.” Exactly 300 of Ovechkin’s 824 goals — he trails Gretzky by 70 — have come on the power play, and the Capitals are second-worst in the NHL in that department at 9.7%. After giving up six goals Monday in a loss to Vancouver, Skinner said: “I can do a lot better to help my team out.” Edmonton’s defense can also do better to help everyone else out.