Ranking the Top 10 NHL Goals of 2016

The best and most spectacular goals of the 2016 calendar year involve parts of two seasons and a brilliant playoff spring. Fans of the game have come to expect the incredible and the outrageous from established impact players like Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

Much of the delight from this year comes from several new talents, like Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The league's power structure is changing with each passing month, and those changes are reflected in every area of the game.

Sit back and enjoy the 10 most sensational goals of 2016 and feel free to chime in with your own list and suggestions. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and a year's worth of goals offers a lot of moments to ponder.

10. Marc-Edouard Vlasic Scores an Overtime Beauty

Date and Opponent: Oct. 25 vs. Anaheim Ducks

Goal: Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Assists: Joe Pavelski

Marc-Edouard Vlasic of the San Jose Sharks will never be mistaken for Bobby Orr, but on the night of October 25, he did a very nice impersonation.

In extra time, with the game on the line, the puck was in the Sharks end. Joe Pavelski sent the puck outside the blue line, and Vlasic—a defensive defender—was the closest to the loose puck. He skated down the ice, corralled the puck and sped in on goal.

Holding off the oncoming Ducks defender while moving from right to left, Vlasic deposited the puck in the back of the Anaheim net with style. Although he isn't known for offensive ability, Vlasic's soft hands came in handy for the overtime winner.

9. Anthony Duclair Gets Extra Points for Degree of Difficulty

Date and Opponent: Jan. 9 vs. Nashville Predators

Goal: Anthony Duclair

Assists: None

Anthony Duclair scored an unbelievable goal for the Arizona Coyotes in January 2016. Intercepting the puck in his own zone, Duclair drove down the ice while holding off the Predators defender.

What made the goal special was the late deke of the Nashville goalie. Duclair drove to the net, made a move left and then tucked the puck in on the right side of the cage. It was tremendous puck and body control and worthy of a top-10 spot on this year's list.

8. Coast to Coast with Alexander Ovechkin

Date and Opponent: Saturday, January 9, at New York Rangers 

Goal: Alexander Ovechkin

Assists: Nate Schmidt

After a fantastic chance for the New York Rangers at one end of the ice, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals drove down the left side from his own net to the other end of the ice to score a breathtaking goal.

It was a Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, meaning there is no bigger stage in the game, and for Ovechkin that makes the goal even sweeter. Goal No. 499 of his career involved passing Rangers forwards who had lost position, making a brilliant move to change the angle before shooting and then executing the deadly release that makes him so dangerous.

We are at a point in Ovechkin's career where erosion is possible, so goals like this one should be savored and enjoyed. For Washington Capitals fans, the thrill of Ovechkin with the puck on his stick is magic, as he showed in January 2016.

7. Jaromir Jagr Joins the All-Time Elite with Goal No. 750

Date and Opponent: Oct. 20 vs. Washington Capitals

Goal: Jaromir Jagr

Assists: Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Marchessault

Jonathan Marchessault and Aleksander Barkov set up Jaromir Jagr on a brilliant and historic goal for the Florida Panthers early in the 2016-17 season.

Barkov sent a fabulous pass through the slot for the trailing Jagr who sent an accurate shot to the net for the tally. With that goal, he became just the third player in NHL history to score 750 goals. Only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe have ever reached the plateau.

6. Patrik Laine Announces His Arrival

Date and Opponent: Oct. 19 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Goal: Patrik Laine

Assist: Dustin Byfuglien

Overtime always offers frantic action, and a game between the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto in October was no exception. Rookie Auston Matthews had a fantastic chance to put the game away with a breakaway, and only seconds later the game was over.

Jets rookie Patrik Laine, who had two goals in regulation, drove back the other way on a two-on-one. The young winger drove toward the net and sent a howitzer toward the Toronto goal, beating Frederik Andersen easily for the winner.

5. Auston Matthews Really Did Mean to Do That

Date and Opponent: Oct. 12 at Ottawa Senators

Goal: Auston Matthews

Assists: None

If you are looking for the definition of impossible, Auston Matthews' first NHL game is a strong candidate. The Toronto Maple Leafs phenom scored four goals in all, the second of which makes our list.

Matthew begins the brilliant feat by knocking the puck out of the air and gaining some degree of control and sending the puck over the Ottawa blue line.

From there, Erik Karlsson of the Senators gains momentary control, but Matthews beats him with speed and a quick stick. From there, it is a quick trip to the net and an early, perfect shot at the goalie. Craig Anderson in the Ottawa net was not able to react, and Matthews had his second goal.

Whatever happens over the remainder of what will no doubt be a long career, Auston Matthews' mammoth four-goal debut will never be forgotten. His second marker ranks among the best of the year.

4. Vladimir Tarasenko: Expert Marksman for St. Louis Blues

Date and Opponent: Nov. 5 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Goal: Vladimir Tarasenko

Assists: Alex Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk 

The St. Louis Blues have employed some of the greatest snipers in the game over its history, and Vladimir Tarasenko may end up being one of the very best. His goal on November 5 against Columbus showed how little room he needs to score—even at the NHL level.

With the game in overtime, Tarasenko took a pass from Alex Steen, made one deke on a Columbus defender and then found a sliver of daylight and placed a perfect shot into the net. Quick release, from a high-danger scoring area, and the game was over. Tarasenko is a special scorer—one of the best in the game.

3. Jakub Voracek Snipes in Overtime for the Philadelphia Flyers

Date and Opponent: Nov. 2 vs. Detroit Red Wings

Goal: Jakub Voracek

Assists: Claude Giroux

The Philadelphia Flyers dynamic duo of Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek teamed up for an overtime winner against the Detroit Red Wings in early November.

Detroit was driving to the Flyers net on a promising two-on-one of its own, when the puck deflected in a bad way for the Red Wings. Claude Giroux grabbed the puck and headed down the ice with Voracek racing to get into position.

Over the blue line, Giroux held the defender in the middle, using the threat of a shot to keep things straight up. Voracek cocked his stick, Giroux passed and the goaltender never had a chance. It was a fantastic game- winner.

2. Kris Letang Scores Stanley Cup Winner for Pittsburgh Penguins

Date and Opponent: June 12, at San Jose Sharks

Goal: Kris Letang

Assists: Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history on June 12, and Kris Letang scored the winning goal. Adding to the impact of the goal is that it came on a terrific play.

With Pittsburgh buzzing around the San Jose net, Kris Letang has a small chance and then goes behind the net and stops in the high slot. The trailer on the play, Sidney Crosby, instantly recognizes Letang is in prime scoring position and no San Jose defender has marked him.

A quick pass to Letang, then an accurate quick release and the Penguins went ahead for the final time in the 2016 playoffs.

1. Connor McDavid Parts a Sea of Blue Jackets

Date and Opponent: Feb. 2 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Goal: Connor McDavid

Assists: Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle

Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers had the Columbus Blue Jackets chasing shadows on Groundhog Day 2016. The phenom, just returning from injury, put the pedal to the metal and had Columbus defenders in panic mode. Barely under control and with the puck in tow, McDavid negotiated the rapids, flew by the opposition and found his way in on goal.

The impressive thing about the goal isn't just that it happened, but that it happened at such an incredible pace. McDavid might be the only NHL player who could have scored this goal, at that speed.