It's Still 'Way Early to Call It the Save of the Year ...

Hockey fans aren't having to wait for springtime to catch superhuman effort this season.

Stunningly creative goals are already in the books.

And now the stupefying saves are beginning to appear.

It's no surprise a Finn is involved, given that country's steady suppy of elite netminders.

The Dallas Stars' Kari Lehtonen is one of the best, as the Los Angeles Kings discovered yet again last night:

Finland is a hockey-mad nation of only 5million citizens, and yet the Leijonat  -- ie- Lions -- are a regular at the elite level internationally. Developing brilliant goaltenders is how they stay level with the deeper talent pools of Canada, Russia, the USA, and bitter rivals Sweden.

They're a common site along the NHL landscape. Besides Lehtonen, here's the active list:

- Tuukka Rask in Boston	- Pekka Rinne in Nashville
- Niklas Bäckström in Minnesota	- Antti Niemi in San José
- Karri Rämö in Calgary	- Antti Raanta in Chicago

Bäckström is living proof that Swedish is the second language in Finland. And no, he's no relation to the Tre Kronor forward in Washington.

Collectively, these dudes often have cats rubbing their eyes in disbelief:

 

And while Mikka Kiprusoff may be retired, he still deserves props as an inspiration for the current Finnish crop:

Finns have their own way of making do with what they've got, and clearly, it works.