Greatest Moments of NHL Season … So Far: first round, matchup 5

The 2019-20 NHL season had many incredible moments before it paused March 12 because of 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 staff members will weigh in on each matchup to give his or her opinion on which one should advance to the next round.
In the matchup on Thursday, Pekka Rinne scoring a goalie goal for the Nashville Predators defeated the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl.
The matchup Friday pits a special

on Oct. 27, against Cale Makar setting a Colorado Avalanche record for most goals in a season by a rookie defenseman in a
5-3 win against the St. Louis Blues
on Jan. 18.

Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

As someone who's gone to sporting events for 35 years, I've never caught a foul ball at a baseball game let alone a puck that flew into the crowd. If I did, I'm not sure I would have shared with anyone. Certainly not as an 11-year-old. Which is why what Emily Wiltzius did that night in Minnesota was so impressive, getting two pucks and without a second thought giving each one to younger kids around her. It was especially cool to see the way the Wild, led by Jason Zucker, rewarded her for her kindness. As a parent, it also serves as a wonderful teaching moment that if you do good things, people are watching and you can be rewarded.

Nick Cotsonika, columnist

It's not just that Makar set the Avalanche record for most goals in a season by a rookie defenseman. It's that he reached 11 goals in 40 games, less than half a season's worth (the previous record holder, John-Michael Liles, needed 79 games in 2003-04). It's that he did it in a 5-3 win against the St. Louis Blues, the defending Stanley Cup champions and leaders in the Western Conference at the time. And it's that he showed the awareness, poise and skill that has made him a leading contender for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the League's top rookie. He noticed the defenders were tired, took advantage of the opportunity to find open ice, and scored on a wrist shot through a screen.