Don't get it twisted: while the regular season in the NHL is surely important, fans yearn for playoff hockey. Enduring the tough 82-game slate that spans seven months can be a tall task for any puck enthusiast - even if you're armchair coaching like the rest of us.

However, if you were able to maintain mental stability and hold your nerve long enough to enjoy the entire postseason, this year's passage of teams battling it out for the Stanley Cup provided some of the best plays, moments, and highlights our great game has to offer.

Despite an opening round that provided two sweeps, two five-game series, and only one seven-gamer, the 2018 postseason was one to remember. Without further ado, let's relive the best moments:

Andersen robs Pastrnak with the paddle

Arguably the best series of the first round, the Boston Bruins were having their way with the Toronto Maple Leafs up until this point. Enter Leafs netminder Freddy Andersen, who went full beast mode from Game 3 on. Case in point was this save he turned in late in the third period with the Bruins pressing.

David Krejci fed it into the corner for David Pastrnak, who loaded up and fired it into what appeared to be a yawning cage. With the flick of a stick, Andersen streaked cross-crease to stone Pastrnak with the paddle, preserving the victory for Toronto.

Ovechkin bats in game-winner vs. Penguins

Not only was Ovi's Game 3 winner the turning point in Washington's series against Pittsburgh, but it was arguably the tipping point of the club's entire season.

Like he did all year long, Ovechkin wowed the crowd on this play, streaking up the ice for a two-on-one with Nicklas Backstrom before ringing his shot off the post. Ovi stayed as cool as a cucumber and batted his own rebound out of midair and past Matt Murray.

The patience and hand-eye were seriously impressive, but the awesome celly at the end cemented Ovechkin's eventual game-winner as one the best of the playoffs.

Rinne's insane knob stop vs. Jets

Not many adjectives in the English dictionary can properly describe what happened in this sequence, so let your eyes do the work for you. Just understand that Pekka Rinne's robbery of Josh Morrissey in the Predators-Jets second-round series was seriously ridiculous.

The man used the knob of his stick ... to make the save ... along the ice. Nuts. If not for the sublime saves further down our list, Rinne's wizardry against the Jets would surely be the stop of the postseason.

Brad Marchand's licking/kissing

Look, everyone can agree that Bruins forward Brad Marchand kissing and licking opponents' faces wasn't exactly good for the game. But, come on, nothing fun or out of the norm like that has ever happened in hockey. And watching opponents become enraged or grossed out with Marchand's greasy face in their beaks was actually freaking hilarious.

Marchand and the Bruins have already admitted the licking and kissing antics need to be cut out immediately. But dirty or not, Marchand and his tongue were one of the most memorable moments of the playoffs.

Forsberg between the legs - twice

The Nashville Predators fell short of their ultimate goal, and after entering the playoffs as Cup favorites, the offseason is sure to be a bitter and long one. However, the fact Filip Forsberg turned in, arguably, the two nicest goals in recent memory should help ease the sting of disappointment.

You be the judge: Was it his first tally against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, when Forsberg totally undressed Avs defenseman Sam Girard?

NOTE: Girard is still looking for his missing jockstrap.

Or was his second against the Jets in the second round even better?

Either way, Forsberg has clearly mastered the art of scoring clutch, highlight-reel goals - both of these were true treats. Wash your hands of the filth accordingly.

Winnipeg's whiteout

Another phenomenon of the 2018 playoffs needing little explanation was the Winnipeg whiteout. Witnessing postseason hockey in the 'Peg has quickly developed into a must-see live event. Fans from the last row of Bell MTS Centre all the way down to the glass were clad head to toe in white for every Jets home game.

Related: Views from the Jets' whiteout in Winnipeg

With the intense atmosphere in the building and the thousands of rabid fans outside, Winnipeg showed the entire hockey world their passion, making their home games a true spectacle.

Fleury makes back-to-back game-savers

Marc-Andre Fleury and the Golden Knights were the story of the year, and Flower was the catalyst for the club's success all season.

That statement was never more true than in the Knights' third-round series against the Jets. Fleury robbed Mark Schiefele in the third period of Game 3 on back-to-back shots to keep the score at 3-2, preserving the win and, in turn, the series.

Golden Knights' pregame performances

OK, so they were a little tacky. And maybe just a bit predictable. But hockey pregames usually consist of boring interviews and cheesy organ music. At least the performances for the Knights' home games came with a bit of showmanship.

Plus, watching a dude in full armor brandishing a sword on the ice was worth the price of admission on its own.

Holtby turns tide of Cup Final by stoning Tuch

If not for this save on Alex Tuch, Braden Holtby and the Caps could be sober right about now. But thanks to this sprawling, cross-crease save, Holtby and the boys are crushing tins as Cup champs.

At the time of the stop, Vegas was up in the series and breathing down the Caps' collective neck to draw level in Game 2. Holtby then slammed the door on the contest and series, going on to beat the Knights in a neat-and-tidy five games.

The save was monumentally huge, and beautiful to boot.

The Great 8 finally gets his

Enough said.

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One day after the Stanley Cup Final, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers couldn't wait to dip their toes into the trade market.

The Leafs sent the rights to 23-year-old forward Nolan Vesey to the Oilers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2020.

Vesey, the younger brother of New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey, was picked in the sixth round by the Leafs in 2014. He scored 11 goals and added 14 assists at the University of Maine this past season.

If the Oilers can't agree on a contract with Vesey by Aug. 15, they'll lose his signing rights, according to Cap Friendly.

The minor deal is the first move of Kyle Dubas' tenure as Leafs GM.

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Marc-Andre Fleury transformed from expansion castoff to Conn Smythe contender in a matter of months on the heels of one of the most miraculous single seasons in North American sports history.

And despite his Vegas Golden Knights falling just short of the Stanley Cup, Flower still very much wants to continue his days on the strip: "It’s funny, because a year ago, I was thinking I was getting too old to play this game," Fleury said Friday, according to Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun.

"Vegas gave me an opportunity to continue doing what I love and I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. I hope I finish my career here."

Aside from being an absolute beast in the blue paint all year long and into the playoffs, Fleury has been the face of the franchise in its inaugural campaign, adorning himself to fans and the community with numerous off-ice initiatives. It comes as little surprise the 33-year-old veteran has eyes for ending his career in Sin City.

Fleury becomes a free agent July 2019, but you can expect the Knights to make a push to lock down their No.1 man much sooner than that.

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Alex Ovechkin was the MVP of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with either Evgeny Kuznetsov or Braden Holtby likely coming in at a close second.

But the Washington Capitals could not have won their first Stanley Cup without the work from those who operate outside of the spotlight. Here are five names worth remembering as they are etched into Lord Stanley.

Jay Beagle

Beagle gave the Capitals a huge boost with his efficiency in the dot, winning more than 60 percent of his faceoffs while leading the team - and all players in the postseason - in draws.

An exceptional defensive player who lacked a scoring touch, Beagle's path to the NHL was a long one, as he joined the Capitals as an undrafted free agent more than a decade ago. He now ranks third among Washington's longest-serving players, behind only Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Lars Eller

Patric Hornqvist, Kris Letang, and Duncan Keith. That trio of players scored the last three Stanley Cup-winning goals ahead of Thursday's game, and Eller's name will now be added to the list after he pocketed the winner with less than eight minutes remaining in Game 5.

Acquired two years ago for a pair of second-round picks, the hope was Eller would offer the Capitals some added stability down the middle. He did that and more in the postseason, during which he chipped in 18 points (nearly half of his regular-season total), making his recent five-year extension look like a stroke of genius by general manager Brian MacLellan.

Michal Kempny

The NHL trade deadline coverage focused on deals involving the likes of Evander Kane, Ryan McDonagh, and Rick Nash, so, when the Capitals shipped a conditional third rounder to the Chicago Blackhawks for little-used defender Kempny, almost no one reacted.

But Kempny was a key member upon his arrival to D.C., where he saw regular minutes under new bench boss Barry Trotz and took in a career high in ice time in the postseason. Not known for his offense, Kempny even chipped in on the scoresheet during the playoffs, including a goal in the Stanley Cup Final.

Brooks Orpik

He doesn't possess the numbers that make him popular with the analytics crowd, but Orpik's invaluable intangibles were a key reason why the Capitals are now planning their Stanley Cup parade.

The veteran defender averaged nearly 17 crucial minutes of ice time throughout the postseason and often acted as a second line of defense to Holtby in keeping the puck out of the net. Orpik finished the playoffs with league-leading 88 hits and added 50 blocked shots, second only to fellow defender Matt Niskanen. This marks the second title for Orpik, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

Devante Smith-Pelly

Much like Eller, Smith-Pelly's scoring touch found another gear this spring, as he evened his regular-season goal total of seven. That offensive outburst included a pair of game-winning tallies, with the second coming in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

A depth addition by the Capitals after having his contract bought out by the New Jersey Devils a year ago, Smith-Pelly's bounce-back season is just one of the many great stories from the Capitals' Stanley Cup win, and one his agent will be sure to relay when it comes time to re-sign the restricted free agent.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Two familiar trade partners could link up once again.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks have held discussions involving Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk and netminder Scott Darling, sources told Scott Powers of The Athletic.

The Hurricanes are expected to be one of the busiest teams this offseason under new general manager Don Waddell, with the team reportedly taking calls on winger Jeff Skinner. Carolina has also expressed interest in Washington Capitals backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

Speculation surrounds Faulk's future in Raleigh. The 26-year-old has just two years remaining on his contract at an affordable cap hit, and he'd be in demand as a rare right-shot blue-liner.

Darling's name has also been mentioned in conversations between the teams, a source told Powers. The goaltender is coming off a disastrous campaign with the Hurricanes after being traded from the Blackhawks a year ago. He finished his first year in Carolina with just 13 wins and an .888 save rate in 43 games.

Before he became a free agent last offseason, the Blackhawks shipped Darling's rights to the Hurricanes for a third-round pick. He then signed a four-year, $16.6-million extension with Carolina.

The Blackhawks and Hurricanes have been frequent trade partners in the past, with Chicago previously sending them Darling, Teuvo Teravainen, Bryan Bickell, and Kris Versteeg, among others.

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The Stanley Cup continues to elude James Neal, and his string of misfortune is becoming a bit ridiculous.

The Vegas Golden Knights forward came up short again this spring, as the Washington Capitals ended the expansion team's magical run in five games with the series-clinching victory Thursday night.

It's the second straight year Neal's team has lost in the championship round, as he fell short as a member of the Nashville Predators last season.

As unlucky as that is, it doesn't end there.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Neal to the Predators in June 2014, and Pittsburgh then won back-to-back titles without him in 2016 and 2017.

Neal also missed out on the Penguins' Cup win in 2009, as they didn't acquire him from the Dallas Stars until February 2011.

The 30-year-old sharpshooter might have already gotten over those past coincidences, but he'll have a hard time putting his Game 4 miss in the rear-view mirror.

Neal's certainly had a productive career, but when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup, he just can't buy a break.

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If there was any lingering doubt, it's history now.

Alex Ovechkin's Stanley Cup victory - along with his stellar performance in these playoffs and throughout the season - should permanently put to rest any remaining whispers of criticism toward the Washington Capitals captain.

Ovechkin didn't need the Cup to be considered one of the greatest players in NHL history. He was already a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time.

He was also a deserving Conn Smythe Trophy winner, leading all postseason scorers with 15 goals and finishing second with 27 points in 24 games. He'll be awarded the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's goal-scoring champion later this month for the seventh time, and he hit the 600-career-goal plateau back in March, becoming the fourth-fastest player to do so.

And he's done all of this by age 32, with no indications whatsoever that he'll be closing the book on his 13-year career anytime soon.

Still, there was something missing, and while he never deserved to shoulder the blame for that, winning the Stanley Cup effectively killed any present or future debates about his place in history.

The unfounded narratives that unfairly dogged him during the Capitals' years of playoff frustration - that he couldn't win big games, that he wasn't fully dedicated, that he was selfish - were never grounded in truth, and they were silenced forever Thursday night.

In fact, Ovechkin all but vanquished those baseless claims long before the final buzzer sounded in Game 5.

After Washington dropped the first two games of its first-round matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on home ice, the Russian superstar guaranteed the Capitals would return to D.C. with the series tied, and that's exactly what happened.

Ovechkin's club won four straight games after his declaration, and he was a huge part of the resurgence, potting three goals and six points combined in Games 3-6.

He should also be lauded for his professionalism during the years of frustration amid the unceasing questions about his role in the Capitals' numerous early exits, as he repeatedly displayed a demeanor that further proved his worthiness as a leader in the dressing room.

Other players might have gotten visibly annoyed when faced with all of the questions about the team's failures, but he didn't. This season, in particular, his sense of humor shone through, and time and time again, he made it known that the team took precedence over his individual accomplishments.

When his pursuit of a 50-goal campaign ended in disappointment on the final night of the regular-season schedule in April, he could have focused inwardly and talked about himself. Instead, he shrugged it off with a memorable two-word phrase and credited his teammates for trying to find him for goals all year long.

As he so often does, Ovechkin played like a man on a mission this spring, and while accomplishing that mission wasn't a requirement for him to be assured of a Hall of Fame plaque, doing so while playing better than anyone else in the playoffs ensured his legacy will never be questioned again.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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David Perron was ready for an extended stay in Sin City.

The Vegas Golden Knights forward, and pending unrestricted free agent, held talks with the team earlier this season in hopes of inking a contract extension, he revealed during Friday's locker room cleanout, as per David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Perron can hit the open market as of July 1, but indicated his preference is to remain with the Golden Knights, telling Schoen, "I want to stay."

The 30-year-old is coming off a career year in which he picked up 66 points in 70 games, besting his previous high of 57 points set in the 2013-14 season. He then added nine points in 15 playoff appearances.

With those sorts of numbers, he could cash in this offseason, particularly as part of a free-agent market lacking quality right-shot forwards. A sizable raise could also be in the offering, as Perron's cap hit was only $3.75 million this season, as per CapFriendly.

The Golden Knights claimed Perron from the St. Louis Blues in last summer's expansion draft.

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With Vegas sportsbooks setting the Golden Knights' odds of winning the Stanley Cup as high as 500-1 last year, big-time payouts appeared to be on the horizon for people who bet on the expansion club.

But the Golden Knights ultimately fell to the Washington Capitals, who won the series 4-1 on Thursday night.

In hopes of minimizing liability, sportsbooks adjusted their odds midseason, and during the playoffs, motivated bettors to put their dollars down on Vegas' opponents. Many also offered partial payouts during the postseason and ahead of the Stanley Cup Final.

"This wasn't my biggest liability, but it was pretty significant," Wynn executive director of race and sports John Avello told ESPN's Ben Fawkes.

The Stanley Cup Final wrapped the NHL's first full season in Sin City - a year in which the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported a 36 percent uptick in the category of bets that includes hockey.

Would it really have been so bad if the hometown team had won it all?

"I was rooting for the town," Avello admitted. "We've taken hits before. If I was going to pay off on something, I (would've been) glad to pay off on the Knights. They've been the talk of the town."

All the sportsbook directors Fawkes spoke to agreed.

"We root for the house as much as we can, but this is such a unique story," said Nick Bogdanovich, William Hill director of trading. "I think we have a free waiver on this one."

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The Washington Capitals' Stanley Cup championship had a global flavor.

In addition to taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and joining some elite company in the process, Alex Ovechkin also became the first Russian-born captain to win the Cup.

Nathan Walker is the first Australian-born player to hoist Lord Stanley's mug, after becoming the first player from Down Under to play in regular-season and postseason games, respectively, earlier in the campaign.

Then there was Lars Eller, who made some history of his own after scoring the most important goal of the Capitals' season.

Capitals backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who started Washington's first two playoff games this year, is the fourth German player to win the Cup, joining Tom Kuhnhackl, Dennis Seidenberg, and Uwe Krupp. It's the third straight year a German-born player has won it, after Kuhnhackl's back-to-back titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ovechkin became the third non-North American player to captain his team to the Cup, joining Nicklas Lidstrom and Zdeno Chara, and he's the fifth non-Canadian, joining Lidstrom, Chara, and U.S.-born players Derian Hatcher and Dustin Brown.

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