NHL Video: 10 Best Plays of the 3rd Week of 2013 Season

NHL fans have been fortunate to witness many spectacular goals, passes, hits, saves and fights through the first quarter of the 2013 season.

Players have come into this season motivated to perform at a high level, and the result has been lots of exciting hockey each night for the fans to enjoy.

Let's look at the top 10 plays from the third week of the season.

Goals

John Tavares, New York Islanders

The NHL's quiet superstar has scored 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 11 games this season, including this beautiful goal on New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Tavares is having another great season, and he would be in the Hart Trophy conversation if the New York Islanders were a better team.

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk does something every night that makes him worth the price of admission, and Sunday's game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings was no different.

Passes

Penguins' 2nd Line

Evgeni Malkin and James Neal might have the best chemistry of any forward duo in the Eastern Conference. The two stars have combined for 11 goals and 15 assists this season, and they connected for a goal with some slick passing in the video below.

Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks

Teemu Selanne is still a top playmaker at the end of his career, and he has formed some solid chemistry with star winger Bobby Ryan. This goal is a great example of that.

Saves

Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes

Star goaltender Cam Ward saves the Carolina Hurricanes from not earning a point in their matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers with a great save to prevent Matt Read from winning the game in regulation. The Flyers later won the game when Daniel Briere scored in overtime.

Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick has underperformed this season, but he made a spectacular glove save with an athletic move to rob Columbus Blue Jackets forward Derek Dorsett in a 4-2 Los Angeles victory.

Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche

Semyon Varlamov makes a tremendous goal-line save to stop Anaheim Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri from scoring his fifth goal of the year. The 24-year-old goaltender is just 3-6 this season with a 2.55 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

Hits

Douglas Murray, San Jose Sharks

Douglas Murray crushes young Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw with a huge hit along the boards. However, the Blackhawks would win the game 5-3 and remain unbeaten in regulation.

Johan Franzen, Detroit Red Wings

Johan Franzen is more known for his impressive offensive skills, but he is also capable of impacting games physically with huge hits, which St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk found out in the video below.

Fight

Patrick Bordeleau vs. Brad Staubitz

Colorado Avalanche forward Patrick Bordeleau dominates Anaheim Ducks winger Brad Staubitz with some huge right-handed punches before ultimately getting the takedown. Bordeleau has now fought seven times this season between the NHL and AHL.

Nicholas Goss is an NHL Lead Writer at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.