Seven games played on Monday featuring one shootout, one shutout and a plethora of must see moments. Let’s find out who had Monday’s best plays!

Best Grinder Goal of the Night:

Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay – What is a grinder? A grinder is a player that you won’t see on the highlights every night but is just as valuable as the superstars on the team. He’s going to battle each shift because he doesn’t usually have the most time on the ice. Occasionally you get a beauty grinder goal like Max Talbot provided Monday night. Talbot had a great game against the Lightning and it culminated with this great play in the first period.

Best Shootout Goal of the Night:

Carolina vs. New York – Rick Nash is a big man. You wouldn’t expect someone of his size and stature to be able to move as well as he does. He dazzled us all again Monday with another shootout gem. Sick mitts on a filthy goal would be one way to describe Nash’s shootout goal.

Best ‘Just the tip’ Goal of the Night:

Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay – You have to have some spectacular hand-eye coordination in order to find a puck out of mid-air and be able to get the tip of your blade on it in order to redirect it into the net. Teddy Purcell proved just how good his hand-eye coordination was when he tipped in a shot from the point from Keith Aulie and getting the game winning goal for the Lightning.

Check out the impressive deflection from Purcell.

Best ‘It’s like the goalie wasn’t even there’ Goal of the Night:

Calgary vs. Dallas – The Flames had to play from behind the whole game against the Stars on Monday. Things looked promising for Calgary when with just under five minutes to play in the game Alex Tanguay put in a pretty goal to bring the Flames back within one. They wouldn’t be able to get that last goal they needed and Dallas went on to win the game 4-3, but Tanguay makes our highlights of the night with his third period goal.

Best Save of the Night:

Calgary vs. Dallas – It isn’t just the goals that are topping our highlights, but one save topped them all on Monday. The Flames Joey MacDonald got the start in net against the Stars because Miikka Kiprusoff returned to Calgary to be with his wife to welcome their second child into the world. MacDonald may have gotten the loss but earned the save of the night also.

Watch MacDonald make this outstanding save on Brenden Morrow!

Best Fight of the Night:

Calgary vs. Dallas – Jarome Iginla is definitely considered a superstar in the NHL. When you have talent like that, and can also throw down, you’ve got yourself the total package. Iginla dropped the gloves with the Stars Cody Eakin Monday and showed his tough side as the two squared up. You have to love a good hockey fight!

Watch Iginla take on Eakin!

Best ‘You never forget your first’ Goals of the Night:

Tyler Toffoli (Los Angeles Kings) – Tyler Toffoli is a product of the OHL Ottawa 67′s and had a monster season with them last year putting up 52 goals and 100 points. He continued his offensive production with the Kings AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs with 28 goals in 55 games. In just his second NHL game Toffoli can now add NHL goal scorer to his resume.

Emerson Etem (Anaheim Ducks) – Emerson Etem is a product of Long Beach California and was taken in the first-round by Anaheim in 2010. Etem has played in the majority of Anaheim’s games this season but was finally about to grab that first goal on Monday. It was a big night for Etem adding an assist on Ryan Getzlaf’s goal and earning the #1 star of the night.

Best Goal of the Night:

Chicago vs. Colorado – I’m sure there will be many that disagree with this, but in my opinion there is no better captain in the National Hockey League than Jonathan Toews. He is the epitome of an all-around player. Offensively he is a top producer, he is one of the best defensive forwards there is, and when you need to win a face-off he is your man. It was Colorado who ended the Blackhawks streak just over a week ago so it was only fitting for the Hawks to come back into the Avalanche’s barn and hand them their own loss. It would be Toews who would cap the night off slinging a shot past Semyon Varlamov in the final period.

Yet another night full of amazing highlights! How can you not love the game of hockey!