Ranking the Best Saves of the 2015 NHL Playoffs So Far

There have been some beautiful saves by goaltenders in the 2015 NHL playoffs. Curating a list of the best to this point was not easy.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the following videos, with thanks to YouTube for the highlights.

Criteria for inclusion: Degree of difficulty counts a lot, yes, but so too does the situation in which the save occurred. It's one thing to make a great save in a meaningless game or at a meaningless juncture of a game. It's another to do it in a pressure-packed moment.

Think a save should have been included? Feel free to mention it in the comments section.

9. Craig Anderson on Brandon Prust

This gem came in the second period of a scoreless Game 4 of the first-round series between Craig Anderson's Ottawa Senators and Brandon Prust's Montreal Canadiens.

Anderson, playing his second game of the postseason after Andrew Hammond faltered, won this game and the next one to put a big scare into the Habs before Montreal closed it out in six.

Anderson has been one of the most underrated NHL goalies of the last five years. Sustained playoff success, however, has eluded him. While Ottawa went with the white-hot Hammond to start the postseason, Anderson would have been the better choice in hindsight.

8. Ben Bishop on Jesper Fast

A great, lunging toe stop here by Ben Bishop on Jesper Fast that helped the Lightning preserve a Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers. 

The Rangers could have tied it up here, first on a breakaway by Rick Nash, then on the follow by Fast. And Bishop needed all of his 6'7" frame to stop Fast's effort.

This is just one of many frustrating moments for Nash so far in the series. The pressure is very much on the Rangers' No. 61 entering Game 4 at Amalie Arena on Friday night.

7. Henrik Lundqvist on Jay Beagle

This great save by Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist came after he stopped Jason Chimera on another good chance (see No. 9). The rebound came out to Jay Beagle, who had a partially open net to shoot at and could have given the Capitals a 1-0 lead in Game 7 of the second round.

Lundqvist had other ideas. No doubt Capitals fans have nightmares in which the handsome Swedish goalie's face is front and center.

6. Braden Holtby on Carl Hagelin

When Washington's Mike Green hauled down Carl Hagelin from behind in Game 4 of the Caps' second-round series with the Rangers, Hagelin was awarded the rare penalty shot in a playoff game.

Hagelin made what looked like a winning move, going to his backhand with room to find the net on the right side. But Braden Holtby made a great glove save. The Caps went on to win the game, their final victory of the postseason.

It wasn't Holtby's fault. He allowed no more than two goals in four of the final five games of the series.

5. Carey Price on Valtteri Filppula

This marvelous save by Carey Price helped get the Canadiens a victory in Game 5 of the second round against Tampa Bay. Valtteri Filppula had a yawning cage, but Price made one of his patented lunging glove stops.

Unfortunately for the Habs, this was their final win of the playoffs.

Price's career playoff record now reads 23-27. Still, he'll likely win the Hart and Vezina Trophies at the NHL Awards ceremony in June.

4. Ben Bishop on Henrik Zetterberg

This might not be the most spectacular save of the bunch here, but considering the score (Tampa Bay leading 1-0), time of the game (midway through the third period) and stakes (Game 7), this Ben Bishop stop on Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg deserves a spot in the top 10.

The Lightning went on to win the game, and they are still playing.

Mike Babcock now coaches another team. Things change quickly in the NHL.

3. Frederik Andersen on Patrick Kane

This one came in the first period of Game 1 of the Western Conference Final and kept the game scoreless. The Ducks scored the first goal less than four minutes later and went on to win 4-1.

Frederik Andersen was committed and seemingly beaten by Chicago's crafty Patrick Kane, but he got a stick on the puck with a lunge.

Andersen made a bunch of great saves in Game 2 as well, but he was outdone by Corey Crawford, who made 60 stops. Apologies to Hawks fans for not including one of them in this list, but to his credit, Crawford made them all look easy.

2. Scott Darling on Ryan Ellis

Scott Darling, who briefly was the goalie of choice for the Blackhawks early in the playoffs, practically did the splits to make this great save on Nashville's Ryan Ellis in Game 1 of the first round.

Darling lost the starting job to Corey Crawford later in the series, but he'll always have this save to look back on as Chicago won the game 4-3 in overtime.

It has to comfort the notoriously fickle Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville that Darling is still on his bench in case Crawford runs into a slump.

1. Petr Mrazek on Brian Boyle

You know it's a great save when it fools even the play-by-play announcer on TV. When Brian Boyle shot into what seemed like an empty net, the announcer said, "Boyle scores!" This came in Game 6 of a first-round series the Lightning went on to win, but the stop was so astounding that it has to be No. 1.

Petr Mrazek made a miracle of a save. Plenty of goalies have made lunging stops with their sticks, but this one was different. Boyle had the whole net at which to aim. Mrazek was way out of position. Boyle shot the puck hard, but Mrazek kept it out with the best save of the playoffs so far.