Greatest Moments of NHL Season … So Far: second round, matchup 7

The 2019-20 NHL season had many incredible moments before it was 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 is down to 32 entries from the original bracket of 64 with the first round now complete. 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 third round.

In the matchup on Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks honoring the first responders who attended to St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester during his cardiac incident defeated rookie defenseman Cale Makar scoring 50 points for the Colorado Avalanche.

The matchup Friday pits Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg's lacrosse-style goal against St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester receiving a standing ovation from fans in his first appearance at Enterprise Center after his cardiac episode.

Tracey Myers, staff writer

OK, this is a tough one for me. How do you not love seeing Bouwmeester back at the arena, healthy and smiling? But you also have to love skill. You have to love a player who finds new ways to dazzle fans, and Forsberg has made a career of that. The latest is his backhand lacrosse-style goal. The amusing part is, regardless of how much he puts on a show, Forsberg is always nonchalant afterward. While the rest of the Predators raved about it, Forsberg said, "It's something I've tried a couple of times. It's cool it went in." Sure, the lacrosse-style goal has been done a few times now. But I'm guessing you're watching replays of it every time, right? I know I am.

Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Forsberg's lacrosse-style goal, much like the two scored by Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov this season, was a special moment. But those goals were about hockey. The ovation for Bouwmeester was about so much more. When the Blues defenseman had a cardiac episode and collapsed on the bench during a game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Feb. 11, Video: NSH@EDM: Forsberg scores lacrosse-style goal because of the serious nature of the incident. On Feb. 27, 16 days later, St. Louis fans finally had proof for themselves that he was on the path to recovery when they saw him sitting in a private box at Enterprise Center during a game between the Blues and New York Islanders. They responded with the type of heartfelt ovation that goes far beyond sports. Remember this: You can practice lacrosse-style goals. You can't practice raw emotion.