Greatest Moments of NHL Season … So Far: first round, matchup 14

The 2019-20 NHL season had many incredible moments before it paused on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, and now fans can decide which one was the best.

The Greatest Moments of the NHL season … So Far have been placed into a bracket of 64 entries, and fans will vote on one matchup per day, ultimately deciding the greatest moment up until this point.

Fans can vote on Twitter and Instagram each day from noon until 10 a.m. ET the next day. Each day, the winner of that matchup will be revealed, and a new set of moments will go head-to-head.

Though fans will have the ultimate say, two NHL.com staffers will weigh in on the matchup each day to give his or her opinion on which one should advance to the next round.

In the matchup Sunday, Filip Forsberg's lacrosse-style goal for the Nashville Predators defeated rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes scoring 50 points for the Vancouver Canucks.

The matchup Monday pits St. Louis Blues fans giving defenseman Jay Bouwmeester a standing ovation in his first appearance at his home arena since his cardiac incident at the Anaheim Ducks 16 days earlier against center Joe Pavelski returning to San Jose for the first time as a member of the Dallas Stars on Jan. 11.

Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Some cheers have much more meaning than just an appreciation for a splashy goal, a spectacular save or a big hit. That was the case when Bouwmeester received an emotional ovation during a 3-2 win against the New York Islanders at Enterprise Center on Feb. 27. It was 16 days earlier, on Feb. 11, when Bouwmeester had a cardiac incident and collapsed on the bench during a game against the Ducks at Honda Center. When Blues public address announcer Tom Calhoun asked the crowd to welcome back Bouwmeester, who was shown on the center ice video screen sitting in a private box, the fans responded with an outpouring of respect and love. It only got louder when Bouwmeester acknowledged the crowd's reaction by waving. It was a special moment, a raw emotional celebration of life. It was, in the end, one that transcended the game. Hard to beat that.

Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

I'm not going to argue against the Bouwmeester moment, I'm not. I really can't, but what I will do is try to make a case for Pavelski. He played his first 13 NHL seasons for the San Jose Sharks, including 963 games, fourth in Sharks history. He is second in San Jose history with 355 goals, third in assists (406) and third in points (761). He was named Sharks captain before the 2015-16 season, when he helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Final. If not for centers Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, Pavelski would be Mr. Shark. That's why it was so hard for fans in San Jose to see Pavelski, who left San Jose as a free agent in the offseason, in a Stars jersey, but it's also why they gave him a rousing ovation after a video tribute at SAP Center. It was a special night for Pavelski and the San Jose fans.