SI's top 10 NHL saves of the year
10. Jonas Gutavsson (vs. Penguins; 4/9)
Lee Stempniak snuck behind the defense to go one-on-one with the goalie who is known affectionately as "The Monster." The Penguins forward left the battle with a goose egg after two chances, and some possible nightmares about a big man in a Red Wings jersey.
9. St. Louis Blues (vs. Rangers; 11/3)
When a team work together it can be a truly beautiful thing. Witness all six Blues players on the ice combining to keep the puck out of their open net. By the time goalie Brian Elliott freezes it, the Rangers have no choice but to start all over again.
8. Tuukka Rask (vs. Canadiens; 5/12)
Tim Thomas' time in Boston was filled with highlight reel saves, and it would seem that Tuukka Rask inherited some of his predecessor's flair for the dramatic. After making a textbook stop at the top of the crease, Rask dove back paddle-first to take away a sure-thing from Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher.
7. Roberto Luongo (vs. Hurricanes; 11/26)
Victor Rask did everything he possibly could to score a goal on Roberto Luongo: He dangled around the goalie's poke check attempt, maneuvered around the Luongo's kicked-out leg, and had a wide open net all to himself. There was just one problem: Luongo did a great Stretch Armstrong impression.
6. Jonathan Quick (vs. Senators; 12/12)
The scouting report on Jonathan Quick notes that he's athletic, a battler and can recover well when he scrambles out of position. As Sens forward Alex Chiasson found out, those notes are frustratingly correct. Even when he's down and out, Quick wears the "elite" tag for a very good reason.
5. Jhonas Enroth (vs. Sharks; 11/18)
It's not easy to stop a puck you can't see—ask Jhonas Enroth. Caught out of position and looking the wrong way, the undersized goalie had the presence of mind to fall backwards and absorb Jason Demers' shot with his back, where there's not a whole lot of padding.
4. Roberto Luongo (vs. Oilers; 1/27)
With the clock ticking on his time in Vancouver, Luongo gave Canucks fans one more thing to remember on his way out: the image of a goalie torquing his body all the way around in order to swat a sailing puck out of harm's way and into the year-end highlights.
3. Cam Ward (vs. Jets; 3/22)
The Hurricanes goalie gave Winnipeg's Bryan Little a wide open net only to cruelly and quickly take it away. Instead of one more goal on his resume, the Jets forward was left with only a question on his mind: How did that happen?
2. Tim Thomas (vs. Capitals; 2/27)
At first glance, this play was destined for the blooper reel. Capitals defenseman Mike Green was sprung on a breakaway and Bruins netminder Tim Thomas tripped over himself while trying to get in position. Instead of giving up, Thomas battled back to steal a golden scoring opportunity and add another unbelievable save to his legend.
1. Jonathan Quick (vs. Jets; 3/29)
Sometimes, the last resort proves to be the best one. Out of position and out of options, Quick simply lifted his leg and threw out a scorpion kick. Consider Blake Wheeler stung.
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