2013 NHL Season: Ranking the Best Goals of the Season so Far

Wicked wristers and laser-like slap shots, two-second toe drags and cross-net dekes—the first five days of the 2013 NHL season have provided a horn-starved hockey world with plenty of goals to feast upon.

From Patrick Kane tearing up the West to a cornucopia of young stars taking the league by storm, glance over a tantalizing array of beautiful plays from the NHL's opening week.

8. Parise's First in Minnesota

Minnesota's earth-shattering free-agent acquisitions are already paying dividends. 

Former New Jersey captain Zach Parise blasts home this rocket for his first goal in Xcel Energy Center and the Wild's only goal in a 1-0 win over Dallas Sunday.

7. The Hockey Alleyoop

Tom Pyatt taps Vincent Lecavalier's floating shot into the goal for a 1-0 lead—and earns a baseball contract in the process.

Tampa Bay would go on to spoil Carolina's home opener, 4-1.

6. Atkinson Schools Howard

Up-and-coming speedster Cam Atkinson jump-starts a Columbus comeback with this smooth breakaway tuck-in.

Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets would eventually fall 4-3 after the game went to a shootout (see No. 2 on this list).

5. Kane's Magnificent Assist

The Chicago Blackhawks are sitting pretty at 3-0, and Patrick Kane—second in the league with five points in three games—can take a lot of the credit.

Here, the 24-year-old icon dances around the Coyotes' defensive zone until setting up the easiest goal of Dave Bolland's career. Chicago eventually pulled out of Phoenix with a 6-4 victory.

4. Kane Steals the Spotlight Again

Patrick Kane apparently didn't feel like one first-week highlight was enough, however, so he took advantage of the biggest blown coverage in history to tap in an unbelievable three-on-none goal.

The Blackhawks won this one, too, by a 3-2 score.

3. Grabner Slides It In

2011 Calder Trophy finalist Michael Grabner, one of the biggest stars in an increasingly dangerous Islanders' offense, fooled Lightning goalie Anders Lindback (and the television commentator) with this innocently smooth goal.

The Isles would hold on to win, 4-3.

2. Brunner Wows North America

Damien Brunner, last summer's most intriguing free agent grab, showed his skills to all of North America with this brilliant shootout winner.

Brunner, 26, has one point in three games with Detroit this January after scoring 117 points in 78 games for Zug (Switzerland) over the last two seasons.

1. Rookie of the Year, Goal of the Year?

Vladamir Tarasenko, the 16th pick of the 2010 NHL draft, proved to St. Louis that the two-and-a-half-year wait was worth it this past weekend.

Including this absolutely stunning tally, the 21-year-old Russian rookie already has three goals and five points in a mere two contests this season.

The Blues routed Detroit in this particular game, 6-0.

Mark Jones has been a Bleacher Report featured columnist since 2009, receiving almost a million views on his 450-plus articles to date. 

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