Best goals of 2025 shared by NHL.com writers

Who doesn't like a good goal? It is the lifeblood of hockey and it's all the better when the goals come dripping with drama or pull you out of your seat with the bravado with which they are scored.

There was no shortage of memorable goals during 2025.

We asked NHL.com staffers for their favorite goals of 2025 and here are the answers, in chronological order:

Dandy by Danforth

The goal Justin Danforth scored at 17:43 of the third period on March 1 was much more than a game-winner. It was a city-lifter. Then a forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Danforth scored off a spectacular individual effort to break a late tie with the Detroit Red Wings and in the process brought a crowd of 94,751 at Ohio Stadium to its feet at the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series in what would become a 5-3 victory. Danforth, now with the Buffalo Sabres, won a battle for a loose puck at center ice, skated past Red Wings defensemen Albert Johansson and Simon Edvinsson, got a shot off on Detroit goalie Cam Talbot, then collected the rebound and put it over Talbot's outstretched pad. The goal gave the Blue Jackets the lead on what was an emotional night in Columbus, which honored forward Johnny Gaudreau, who along with his brother, Matthew, had been killed in August, 2024. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

Welcome back, Gabe

Gabriel Landeskog had suffered a lot of heartache during a journey of almost three years to come back from knee issues. It all was excised for the Colorado Avalanche captain against the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round on April 26. Landeskog took a pass from Brock Nelson in the high slot and razored a shot past Jake Oettinger with 6:50 left in the second period to give them a three-goal lead in a 4-0 win. As soon as the shot nestled under the crossbar, Landeskog raised his arms, his mouth agape. Eventually his teammates caught up to him and pig piled on him along the boards. If it takes almost 1,000 days to score, this was the way to do it. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Jet fuel by Perfetti

Time was running out, forward Nikolaj Ehlers semi-whiffed on a chance near the blue line and it looked like the Winnipeg Jets were heading for another first-round exit. Then Cole Perfetti came through with the equalizer with three seconds remaining in regulation against the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round on May 4, and Canada Life Centre went bonkers. I was there and I truly can't express how loud it was. The reaction was just as crazy outside the arena, where thousands of fans were watching on the big screen. No, it wasn’t the game-winner, but the dramatics and reaction of this one even outweighed Adam Lowry's overtime goal, which seemed like a formality after Perfetti's heroics. What a night, what a goal! -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Barkov and Verhaeghe team to send Panthers to another Cup Final

Aleksander Barkov doesn't get as much attention for his offensive contributions because he's so good defensively, but the Florida Panthers captain demonstrated his elite skill in setting up Carter Verhaeghe for the winning goal in a series-clinching 5-3 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 28. Barkov used his strength and speed to ward off Hurricanes defenseman Dmitry Orlov while circling behind the net with the puck before spinning away from Orlov in the left corner and heading toward the net. Barkov then stickhandled past forward Eric Robinson and slid a backhand pass across to Verhaeghe, who roofed his shot from the right side of the net to snap a 3-3 tie with 7:39 remaining in the third period. Barkov later assisted on Sam Bennett's empty-net goal, securing the Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

Marchand's double OT goal gets Panthers going in Cup Final

The Edmonton Oilers scored the latest game-tying goal in Stanley Cup Final history at 19:42 of the third period in Game 2 against the Panthers on June 6. But after an up-and-down first overtime, Brad Marchand delivered 8:05 into the second OT to give Florida a 5-4 win, evening the best-of-7 series 1-1. Florida won the Stanley Cup in a six-game series, but it started with Marchand. Actually, it started when Mattias Ekholm missed the net on a shot from the left point. The puck came out on the far side, taking a hop toward the middle. Marchand read it perfectly, skated ahead, and got sprung on a breakaway by Anton Lundell. He went to his backhand, kept the puck despite Leon Draisaitl's backcheck, and shoved it through Stuart Skinner's five-hole. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

McDavid makes magic

Draisaitl scored the goal, but Connor McDavid made the play, a magical one even by his lofty standards. It became a footnote, because it happened in the first period of a 5-4 double-overtime loss for the Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 6. But watch it again: On the power play, McDavid makes Barkov miss, toe drags past Aaron Ekblad and threads a pass from left to right to Draisaitl, who one-times the puck into the net, giving Edmonton a 3-2 lead. Words don't do it justice. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Marchand's holy moment

It's not often that a goal will leave a teammate nearly unable to breathe. But Marchand did that in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 14, leaving the mic'd-up Matthew Tkachuk repeating the words, "Oh my God" repeatedly on the bench. Not only did the goal -- his second of the game -- give the Florida Panthers a three-goal cushion in a game that would give them the 3-2 series lead in the Cup Final, but it was also a stunner of a move. It started with a defensive zone faceoff won by the Oilers, then the puck was knocked away by Eetu Luostarinen to Marchand, who took the puck from center ice to the outside of Jake Walman. Then came the magic, with Marchand lifting his stick up, sneaking to the inside of the defenseman, while slipping the puck under Walman's stick, before backhanding it past Calvin Pickard. It was pure sorcery. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

McDavid goes for a spin

McDavid went for a spin and took Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk with him on a goal in a 5-4 overtime win at Rogers Place on Nov. 10. The Oilers captain took a pass at the red line and criss-crossed with teammate Jack Roslovic entering the Columbus zone. McDavid feigned a pass then performed a spin-o-rama move that corkscrewed Mateychuk to the ice. He ended his pirouette with a high backhand shot past goalie Jet Greaves' right hand, blocker side, 58 seconds into the third period that narrowed the lead to 3-2. It was the first of two McDavid goals that period in a comeback win that ended an Oilers three-game skid. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Palmieri's impressive assist

If ever a goal personified the toughness and mentality of an NHL player, it's the one scored by Emil Heineman of the New York Islanders in a 4-3 shootout loss against the Philadelphia Flyers, assisted by Kyle Palmieri on Nov. 28. Palmieri stripped Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae of the puck, despite having sustained a serious knee injury in a collision with Philadelphia defenseman Jamie Drysdale in the corner moments earlier. Palmieri tore the ACL in his left knee and slowly was making his way to the New York bench when he noticed Andrae skating backwards into his own zone with the puck. Palmieri lifted the stick of the unsuspecting Andrae, stole the puck and sent a backhand pass to Jonathan Drouin streaking down the middle. He dropped it to Heineman, who snapped it over the shoulder of Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson to cut the Islanders deficit to 3-1. Palmieri went straight to the dressing room while his teammates celebrated and it was revealed the next day he would be out 6-8 months. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Spin cycle for Celebrini

As part of a four-point game (two goals, two assists) in a 6-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Dec. 16, San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored a highlight-reel goal early in the third period that fans still are buzzing about. After taking a pass from Collin Graf just past the Flames blue line, the 19-year-old spun around defenseman Kevin Bahl without breaking stride before putting a shot on Dustin Wolf. The initial shot was stopped, but the rebound bounced off Celebrini's hip and went in for a 4-2 lead. It enabled him to reach 50 points and become the third teenager in NHL history to reach that mark in 34 games or fewer, joining Sidney Crosby (28 games in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (32 games in 1979-80 and 1980-81). -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

McDavid provides electricity for Oilers

Brian McDavid has seen more than his share of “wow” moments from his son Connor over the years. So, when this proud poppa called Connor’s goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 13 “electric,” you know it was a special one. Truth be told, the Edmonton Oilers captain is always cranked up when he plays at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, 45 miles south of his hometown of Newmarket. Such was the case on this occasion, with a coast-to-coast audience watching on Hockey Night in Canada. Just over three minutes into the game, McDavid took a pass from Evan Bouchard in the neutral zone and blew past four Toronto Maple Leafs players, almost as if someone had hit the speed burst button on a video game, before finishing the play off with the perfect deke on Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby. The accompanying buzz in the arena was one of awe and astonishment, and rightly so. “To do it on that stage, on a Saturday, in front of friends and family, it was amazing,” Brian McDavid said. Who are we to argue? -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer