NHL's top 5 goals of 2017

It's truly a wonderful time to be a hockey fan.

The game is being played at a level never seen before, allowing for jaw-dropping highlights almost every night.

Cutting a list of goals of the year to five is no easy task, but here's what we came up with:

5. Spurgeon's home run - Jan. 17

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon set the bar high early in the year, scoring in a way we hadn't really seen before.

Spurgeon's catch-and-shoot really was a hit.

4. More magic from Crosby - March 21

Sidney Crosby has wowed us so many times over the course of his already legendary career, but the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar brought something fresh to the table with this ridiculous one-handed backhand goal in Buffalo after cutting straight through the Sabres' defense.

3. Matthews channels his inner Ovi - Feb. 19

It wasn't quite the same as Alex Ovechkin's unforgettable tally against the Coyotes, but Toronto Maple Leafs (then) rookie Auston Matthews somehow managed to score on his backhand while falling to the ice in Carolina.

2. Henrique dunks on Vatanen, Devils - Dec. 18

The beauty of this goal wasn't just the play, but the story it told.

Less than three weeks after being traded by the Devils to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Sami Vatanen, Adam Henrique made his return to New Jersey.

Back in his old barn, he proceeded to score a truly sensational goal at the expense of not just his former club, but the very player for whom he was deemed expendable.

1. Karlsson's pass to Hoffman - April 17

Let's be clear: Mike Hoffman's execution of the Peter Forsberg breakaway move on Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask in the playoffs stands alone on its own merits.

But what made this the clear-cut goal of 2017 was a picture-perfect pass from Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson that was delivered from his own goal line and landed at just the right spot for Hoffman to break in onside.