VIDEOS: The top 5 saves of 2015
The NHL is in crisis, depending on you ask.
While the league boasts more skill than ever, goal-scoring is at an all-time low.
The average save percentage sits at .916, the largest number since the stat started being tracked. Meanwhile, the league-wide 2.47 goals-against average this season is the the lowest since 2003-04.
Much of the blame can be placed upon goaltenders. Sure, one can argue their equipment is larger and space for shooters is limited, but the biggest reason is that goaltenders are as talented now as they've ever been.
Fans jump from their seats nightly as netminders make miraculous saves by diving, twisting, and turning, doing whatever it takes to keep the puck out.
The past 12 months have brought us no shortage of show-stopping saves. Here are five of the best ones 2015 had to offer:
Jake Allen vs. Marko Dano
Chicago Blackhawks forward Marko Dano fired a puck into the mesh on Nov. 14. The problem? It was the mesh of Jake Allen's glove.
The St. Louis Blues netminder made one of the greatest saves we saw all season, taking away what looked (especially to Dano) to be a sure goal.
Henrik Lundqvist vs. Ryan Johansen
You should never count out Henrik Lundqvist, even if he is behind the net and the puck is not.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Ryan Johansen learned this the hard way in October when the New York Rangers goaltender somehow denied Johansen of a tap-in goal into an empty cage.
Carter Hutton vs. Daniel Winnik
Last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs was, to put it nicely, painful.
The club crumbled in the second half of the season, lowlighted by an 11-game losing streak. That streak hit 10 games on Feb. 3 thanks in large part to this outstanding save by Nashville Predators goaltender Carter Hutton.
The club's backup goalie made the save of the year, diving backward to take what would have been the game-tying goal away from Maple Leafs forward Daniel Winnik.
And so the heartache continued for Leafs fans.
Karri Ramo vs. J.T. Miller
Karri Ramo is no stranger to moving around - from starter for the Calgary Flames to the waiver wire, from the right side of the net to the far left.
The 29-year-old submitted his entry for save of the year last season with an unbelievable diving stop, snagging a shot by Rangers forward J.T. Miller that seemed destined for the back of the net.
Cam Ward vs. David Perron
Cam Ward's numbers over the past handful of seasons have hovered in the mediocre-to-poor range, but the Carolina Hurricanes netminder has still cashed in some brilliant saves.
Few have been better than this show-stopper against Pittsburgh Penguins forward David Perron last season.
Quality over quantity, apparently.