VIDEOS: Top 5 NHL plays of the year
Alex Ovechkin's defense-splitting backhand deke goal against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday was beautiful, but it wasn't enough to crack the top five plays of 2014.
The past 12 months of NHL action filled highlight reels on a nightly basis with plays that defied imaginations (and occasionally physics). Distilling the year into five dazzling moments was no easy task. The goals and saves below might not be the biggest, most important plays made in 2014, but they aren't likely to be replicated any time soon.
Here are the top five plays of 2014:
Vladimir Tarasenko's one-handed deke vs. Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko turned into a highlight machine in his third NHL season, so it was only natural that he saved his best moves for one of sports' biggest stages.
Tarasenko undressed an entire New York Rangers penalty-killing unit at Madison Square Garden, starting with Mike Kostka, who stumbled at the blue line in the face of Tarasenko's breakneck speed. The next two Rangers players didn't fare much better, allowing Tarasenko to embarrass goaltender Cam Talbot with a one-handed Forsberg deke usually reserved for penalty shots.
Tyler Ennis' circus goal vs. Canadiens
Tyler Ennis appeared to lose control of the puck as he cut to the net and hopped over the pad of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. By the time he landed and regained possession, he was heading towards the boards with his back to the net and his scoring chance appeared to be gone.
Except it wasn't.
Ennis somehow lifted a no-look backhand shot off the ice and past Price for a goal that left the Canadiens stunned and physicists scratching their heads.
Jonathan Quick makes mid-air toe save vs. Jets
Is that Jonathan Quick, or Dominik Hasek?
Quick's acrobatic saves often find their way onto highlight reels, but the desperation kick save he made while lying on his stomach against the Winnipeg Jets was Dominator-esque.
Quick was being screened by two Jets players when Blake Wheeler received a pass near the right faceoff dot and the Los Angeles Kings netminder lunged across the crease in anticipation of a quick shot. Wheeler hesitated before firing a shot from a sharp angle over a prone Quick, but Quick lifted his right leg to kick the shot away.
Tomas Tatar goes coast-to-coast vs. Stars
Tomas Tatar made last season's Dallas Stars defense look like this season's Dallas Stars defense on this coast-to-coast effort in January.
Tatar collected the puck in his own zone and built speed through the neutral zone with Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon lining him up for a hit. Dillon committed to the hit as Tatar crossed the Dallas blue line, but Tatar had his head up and hesitated just enough to avoid Dillon, who crashed into his defensive partner as Tatar finished the play with a backhand deke.
Henrik Lundqvist's blocker save vs. Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens would have opened the scoring in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final - if it wasn't for the acrobatic reaction of Henrik Lundqvist.
Thomas Vanek's shot deflected up and appeared to be fluttering past Lundqvist's initial save attempt, but the New York Rangers netminder flung himself around to bat the puck away with his blocker.
The save was a back-breaker for Montreal, which needed a victory to force Game 7. Dominic Moore scored the only goal of the contest minutes later and the Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup final.