Ranking the Top Single-Game Performances of the 2015 NHL Playoffs so Far

The NHL playoffs are all about clutch players, individual efforts and the spectacular highlight-reel plays that result from those two things.

Wait, you say this is a team sport?

Fair enough. There are many elements that factor into great games in the postseason—and we've been treated to plenty of them so far as the conference finals rage on—but strong showings from great players stand out almost nightly.

Here are the top dozen and a set of honorable mentions based on things such as total points or number of saves but also when they took place and how critical they were to victory. Therefore, despite some strong performances from guys such as Calgary Flames goaltender Karri Ramo and Washington Capitals netminder Braden Holtby, who were arguably the best players on the ice in some losses, only winners are counted here.

Make sure to add your own and discuss the order in the comments section.

Honorable Mentions

Rick Nash, New York Rangers: Criticized for much of the playoffs for his lack of production, Rick Nash finally exploded for a pair and a three-point night in Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning to ensure his Rangers leveled the series. The sniper potted a breakaway goal late in the first period to open the scoring, then piled on with a power-play goal in the third to make it 5-1 Rangers.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks: The way Patrick Kane collected defenseman Duncan Keith's long pass, pulling the puck into the offensive zone backward but staying onside, then putting a perfect shot past Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk was classic Kane. He's fun to watch. He added an empty-netter that still took serious determination and skill to score in helping the Blackhawks to a 2-0 series lead with a 4-1 win.

Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise was at his best when he scored a pair of goals in an elimination game versus the St. Louis Blues in the first round. His first was a shorthanded marker in the opening period to get the Wild off to a good start. His second made it 3-1 in the early in the third period, putting the dagger in the Blues' hearts.

Dale Weise, Montreal Canadiens: Dale Weise was the hero in Game 3 against the Ottawa Senators in Round 1, scoring the overtime winner to give the Habs a 2-1 win and 3-0 series lead. What made his night even more amazing was that he also scored the tying goal late in the third period to force overtime.

Andre Burakovsky, Washington Capitals: Rookie Andre Burakovsky scored a pair of goals to help the Caps take a 3-1 series lead over the New York Rangers. His were the only goals scored by his side in the 2-1 win in Game 4. The first tied things up in the second period, and the second gave the Caps the lead less than 30 seconds into the third frame.

12. Senators' Craig Anderson Extends Series Against Canadiens

Facing elimination for a second straight game, Craig Anderson made sure he was the game's first star for a second consecutive contest.

He put up 45 saves in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round of the playoffs to give the Ottawa Senators a reason to hope another goaltending miracle could extend their season.

It did give them one more night, but it wasn't easy. The Canadiens pelted him with 15 shots in the first period, 11 more in the second and a whopping 20 in the third period.

Anderson, who replaced Andrew Hammond for Game 4 after the Sens fell behind three games to none in the series, allowed a sneaky-quick long shot from defenseman Tom Gilbert to get past him, but not before it was tipped by a Sens defenseman on the way in on a partial screen from Dale Weise.

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun suggested via Twitter that Anderson was channeling a former Habs great on the night.

11. Lightning's Ben Bishop Makes Point and 43 Saves in Game 1 Win over Canadiens

Ben Bishop couldn't possibly win the goaltending battle against Carey Price.

Or could he?

With 43 saves in Game 1—a 2-1, double-overtime Tampa Bay Lightning win over the Montreal Canadiens—Bishop proved he could do just that.

He was all over the highlight reel on the night, as the Habs peppered him with 10 shots in the first period, a dozen in the second, nine more in the third and then 13 in the first overtime frame. Bishop parried them all, and his team rewarded him by scoring before the Canadiens could get a shot away in the second OT.

His best save of the night might have been his rolling glove stop on Tomas Plekanec in the second period, but there are plenty of them for you to choose your favorite.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper figured it was just an extension of his big Game 7 performance against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. He said of the previous game, talking to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch:

"

You come into his biggest game of his career, the biggest game since I’ve been in here in our franchise the last couple of years, and for him to give the performance he did speaks miles for that kid. The spotlight didn’t have to be on him for six games, but when it was it shined the brightest and so did he, and that’s what’s impressive.

"

The Lightning eventually took the series 4-2.

10. Duncan Keith Helps Take out the Predators with Three-Point Night

There are some nights when you wonder if there's a better defenseman in the NHL than Duncan Keith.

Game 6 of the opening-round series between his Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators was one of those evenings.

The Hawks' top d-man was stellar at both ends of the ice, playing nearly half the game and scoring the game-winner—sorry, series-clincher—against the Preds in a 4-3 victory, during which his Hawks were twice trailing by two goals.

Keith finished a plus-two with a goal and three points in 28 minutes of action. He also fired six shots on goal.

He kept things close with the first assist on Patrick Sharp's first-period goal to cut the first lead in half. A rebound from his point shot found Sharp on the right side, and he popped it past Pekka Rinne.

Keith also assisted on Patrick Kane's clutch goal in the dying seconds of the first period to draw even. They perfectly executed a designed play off the face-off.

His series-winner was a patient trek across the point that involved a couple of false windups before he finally rifled a slapper past the Preds goalie.

9. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist Proves Penguins Are Flightless Birds

Looking to shut down the Pittsburgh Penguins for the spring, the New York Rangers knew they would be facing the best the Pens had to offer.

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was up to the task.

The King has had some memorable outings in these playoffs, including the Game 7 victory over the Washington Capitals in the second round, which put him in elite company as one of only three goalies with six Game 7 wins in his career, but this one still sticks out as his most impressive performance from start to finish.

The Penguins sent wave after wave of bodies at his crease but could only manage a single goal on the night, with the netminder still managing to make a couple of incredible stops on the play before the puck finally got batted past him as he was being trampled.

Among the greatest saves of the night, and these playoffs, were the pair he made on Patric Hornqvist, but he pulled off plenty more on the night. Most of his work came in the second and third periods, and he and was perfect on all five shots in overtime before Carl Hagelin ended the game and the series.

8. Anaheim Ducks Pest Corey Perry Pots 4 Points to Douse Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames had lost 20 straight games at the Honda Center before their second-round matchup with the Anaheim Ducks began.

It was the perfect time to end it, right?

Wrong. Corey Perry had other ideas.

The Ducks' pest and top sniper, Corey Perry, quickly put those thoughts to bed along with a Flames fanbase that was staying up late to watch the West Coast contest. Perry worked a perfect cycle with linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Maroon, with Maroon scoring to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Perry added one of his own a couple of minutes into the second period, this time just walking out in front of goalie Jonas Hiller from the back boards and firing the puck past him for a 3-0 lead. He took a stick in the face in the process but chased Hiller from the net with that one.

Karri Ramo would fare no better.

Perry scored again to make it 5-0 Ducks just 22 seconds into the third period, taking advantage of some more open space and getting as close to the net as possible before snapping the puck under Ramo's arm.

He later played a part of a razzle-dazzle power-play passing display with Sami Vatanen and Getzlaf to help his linemate net his second of the playoffs.

"You can see it on Corey Perry's face, how much he wants to score and how much he wants to be the guy that does the damage," coach Bruce Boudreau told the Associated Press, via CBC.ca. "That's probably why he gets into a lot of trouble with other players more than other guys. He can be an antagonizer and an instigator, as well as a great player."

He finished the series against the Flames with four goals and eight points.

7. Rookie Red Wings Goalie Petr Mrazek Arrives in Style

Starting a rookie goaltender in the playoffs was a move many questioned, but Petr Mrazek proved Mike Babcock knew what he was doing with a standout performance in Game 1 of their opening-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mrazek got the nod ahead of veteran starter Jimmy Howard and made 44 saves in a 3-2 win over the high-powered Lightning to quickly snatch home-ice advantage in the series.

He made saves such as this one on Braydon Coburn look easy all night long.

"He saved us," Henrik Zetterberg told Detroit Free Press writer Drew Sharp. "Without him, there's no telling how this might have looked."

Zetterberg continued:

"

You don't want to put yourself in a position where your goaltending has to constantly bail you out. We have to do a better job of creating more [scoring] opportunities and staying out of the [penalty box] more than we did. But Pete played great. It's hard believing that this was his first [NHL] playoff game.

"

He finished the game with a .957 save percentage.

6. Lightning's Tyler Johnson Takes over the Game and Series vs. Red Wings

The Tampa Bay Lightning were minutes from the end of regulation, down two goals and looking at a 3-1 series deficit to the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round.

Then Tyler Johnson took over—a theme common for the Bolts in these playoffs.

The Lightning center scored with less than six minutes to play to breathe life into his team, roofing the puck as he drove at the net after a long rush up the left side.

He then set up the tying goal to force overtime a little more than a minute later, making a perfect return pass on a give-and-go play with Ondrej Palat, leaving the color commentator on the broadcast to exclaim, "Tyler Johnson has taken over this game!"

Just to make sure the series would be knotted at 2-2 and his stamp was firmly placed on this game, Johnson scored the overtime winner just 2:25 into the extra frame. He slid his way into a prime shooting position, got into position for a backhand pass from Victor Hedman and made sure he got all of it to score into the open side.

5. Canadiens' Carey Price Ends Series Against Senators with a Shutout

The Ottawa Senators had won two straight games with the Montreal Canadiens looking to eliminate them. In Ottawa for Game 6, the Sens were looking to extend the series once more.

Carey Price rejected that notion with a 43-save performance that sealed the Canadiens' spot in the second round.

He did so in typically calm fashion, making plenty of big stops without appearing to break a sweat. There was the blast from Sens center Kyle Turris that Price got the shaft of his stick on just in time to send it harmlessly into the corner.

Absorbing most of the shots without much in the way of rebounds, Price looked as if he was playing the first game of the playoffs as opposed to an elimination matchup. He barely reacted after Mika Zibanejad had the puck all alone on his doorstep and his belly slide forced a quick shot that didn't get off the ice.

Keep Calm and Carey On.

"That's what it's all about. That's what makes it so much fun. You know, ever since you're a little kid you dream of being in those types of situations and tonight we found a way to succeed," Price said on CBC after the series-clinching 2-0 win, via CBCNews.com's Douglas Gelevan.

Adam Proteau of the Hockey News went all Star Wars on Twitter with his suggestion about how tough it is to score on Price when he's on form.

4. Jiri Hudler Leads Comeback to Eliminate the Canucks

The Calgary Flames were the architects of many comeback wins in the regular season.

None carried the same weight as the one they pulled off in Game 6 of their first-round series against the Vancouver Canucks. And it wouldn't have been possible without the play of the team's top regular-season scorer, Jiri Hudler.

Hudler and the Flames were down 3-0 before the halfway mark of the first period. Micheal Ferland cut into the lead with less than three minutes left in the opening period. From there, Hudler took over.

From his knees, he pushed the puck loose in front of the Canucks net for Sean Monahan to pounce on to make it 3-2. He made a seeing-eye pass between two Canucks defenders to set up Johnny Gaudreau to tie things at 3-3.

The Canucks took another lead into the third period, but Hudler scored on the power play to make sure there was no insurance goal from his opponents. He quickly took a missed shot from backhand to forehand and tucked it past Ryan Miller.

His fourth point of the night was into an empty net to make it 6-4 in what turned out to be a rousing 7-4 win.

3. Filip Forsberg Shows Voters Why He's the Best Rookie

In an elimination game on the evening he found out he was snubbed as a potential finalist for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, Filip Forsberg showed everyone why he deserved to be among those final three.

Forsberg led the Nashville Predators to victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the opening round with three goals on four shots in just 15:10 of ice time in a must-win situation.

His first was an unassisted beauty right off the draw that tied the game at 1-1 in the first period. He pounced on the puck after a Blackhawks win in the offensive zone and beat goalie Scott Darling with a quick shot.

Next up was a one-timer that came 12 seconds after another Preds goal to bump the lead to 4-1. Forsberg had to adjust his positioning to get the most of the Mike Fisher pass across the crease and made no mistake.

An empty-netter with 11 seconds left on the clock served as an exclamation point when Kris Versteeg muffed a pass and Forsberg scooped it up and walked it into the open goal.

"He's a special talent," Predators goalie Pekka Rinne told John Glennon of the Tennessean. "We're lucky to have him and his talent. I'm not surprised (by what he does) anymore. You get to see him every practice and what he's able to do. It's pretty special for a guy that young to score a hat trick in playoffs."

He notched six points in six games during his first taste of the NHL playoffs.

2. St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko Triples Up

Even though the St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko didn't make it out of the first round this spring, he remains in the top 10 playoff goal scorers into the conference finals.

He scored six in six games against the Minnesota Wild, including this incredible three-goal night in Game 2, which the Blues won 4-1.

Two of his goals came in the first period, one at even strength at 13:18 and the next on the power play at 18:01. The third, into an empty net with 16.1 seconds left, sealed the deal. Fans in St. Louis were happy to toss their hats to the ice in appreciation.

“We need him to rise up,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told the Associated Press at the time, via Canada.com. “For us to have success, our best players have to be significant and that was a big step today. We needed more of that and we got it.”

The 23-year-old showed his skill with a nice redirection past Devan Dubnyk for his first goal of the series, a sharp-angle shot on the power play for his second. Even his empty-netter was a long shot from his side of center that required precision.

1. Hats off to Tyler Johnson

Tyler Johnson's rise to greatness has been a speedy ascent. Adding to his many highlights from the past couple of seasons and now his first deep run in the playoffs was this gem of a night against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Johnson not only scored a hat-trick—his fourth multi-goal game of the postseason—but he did it in the most well-rounded way possible, with a shorthanded breakaway goal early in the first period, a power-play marker five minutes later and one at even strength by charging to the net and slapping in a loose puck to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.

The super sophomore finished with those three goals on six shots, a plus-two rating and three blocked shots to his name. The Lightning, thanks to his early brilliance, cruised to a 6-2 win to even the series at 1-1.

The triple that involved all three of those strength scenarios was the first of its kind since Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux in the spring of 2013 and just the eighth time in nearly 30 years, according to Hockey-Reference.com.

Much has been made about his lack of size—5'9" and 182 pounds—but there's plenty of fight in him, which is immeasurable.

“The bigger the game, the better he plays,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said of Johnson after that game, via National Post columnist Michael Traikos. “Unreal to watch. He put the team on his back and we followed.”

The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy suggests Johnson's stick may actually be magical via Twitter.