Watch Penguins Star Evgeni Malkin's Spin-O-Rama Goal on Carey Price

With an NHL-leading 62 points on the season, it's safe to say that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is the hottest player in hockey right now.

He certainly did nothing to dispel that on Tuesday night thanks to a wicked spin-o-rama shootout goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price.

Malkin, who assisted on the game-tying goal in the third period, stepped up to center ice with the Pens trailing by one in the shootout. He proceeded to pull out a nasty move that saw Price flopping all over the ice in an effort to make a desperation save.

Montreal ultimately won the game as Tomas Plekanec connected in the eighth round of the shootout and Price stonewalled Jason Williams, but it doesn't make Malkin's goal any less spectacular. At the same time, though, hockey fans have grown accustomed to seeing Malkin do some amazing things.

That has especially been true this season as his importance has increased in a big way with Sidney Crosby on the shelf. Malkin has stepped up in a big way in the absence of Crosby as he has netted 29 goals and dished out 33 assists in just 47 contests.

Malkin gives the Penguins an incredible luxury—they are still among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, even without the best player in the world for the vast majority of the season. With that said, Malkin has certainly staked his claim to the "best in the world" moniker this year.

The shootout goal itself was a work of art, but that type of spin-o-rama is a point of contention right now.

A player technically isn't allowed to stop his forward momentum on a shootout attempt or a penalty shot, but in order to pull off a spin-o-rama a player does stop forward momentum because they move the puck backwards momentarily.

Purists probably want the move to abolished, but when something looks that pretty, it's difficult to get too worked up about it. Malkin is having an incredible season and Tuesday night's shootout goal was just the latest example of why he is the leading candidate for the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP.