From Glad Gilmore to dunk tanks to golf and extra, Mike Stephens recaps the 2023 NHL all-star abilities competitors.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports activities
The 2023 NHL all-star abilities competitors occurred tonight to a medium quantity of fanfare.
Let’s check out every problem.
Splash Shot
Contestants: Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen (COL), Sidney Crosby (PIT) and Nathan MacKinnon (COL), Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox (NYR), Brady Tkachuk (OTT) and Matthew Tkachuk (FLA)
Winner: Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen
I do not care if the NHL holds the subsequent All-Star Sport within the Arctic Circle. This must be a mainstay occasion.
Splash Shot captured the vibe of South Florida completely, permitting the gamers to obviously have essentially the most enjoyable of any problem they participated in and showcasing their personalities to a pleasant extent.
To not point out, it was pre-taped, that means the printed might edit out any awkwardness and permit the entire thing to roll easily.
Makar labelling his victory because the NHL achievement he covets essentially the most ought to say all of it.
Higher Deck Quickest Skater
Contestants: Cale Makar (COL), Kevin Fiala (LAK), Andrei Svechnikov (CAR), Chandler Stephenson (VGK), Dylan Larkin (DET)
Winner: Andrei Svechnikov
The ultimate spherical of the Quickest Skater problem was held so lengthy after the occasion first began that I actually forgot lots about what really occurred.
Cale Makar fell in his first and solely lap, dropping his footing at full velocity with out a helmet in a second that’s positive to have made Joe Sakic freeze. Apart from that, the problem got here exactly as marketed, that includes a bunch of NHLers skating actually, actually quick.
The one attention-grabbing tidbit was that former winner Dylan Larkin, who as soon as beat McDavid, completed a dismal fifth and didn’t make the ultimate. Possibly Larkin is not as fleet of foot as he approaches his late-20s – previous age by hockey requirements.
In the long run, Svechnikov took house the title of quickest skater with a completely blistering lap that got here in underneath 14 seconds. The man goes to get the status as a speedster now. Is he prepared for that accountability?
“No,” answered Svechnkikov.
Very cool!
Nice Clips Breakaway Problem
Contestants: Mitch Marner (TOR), David Pastrnak (BOS), Sidney Crosby (PIT) and Alexander Ovechkin (WSH), Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) and Brady Tkachuk (OTT)
Winner: Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin
On the very least, each contestant put a ton of effort into this occasion.
Mitch Marner got here out in a full Miami Vice outfit, David Pastrnak channelled Glad Gilmore, and Matthew Tkachuk embraced the seashore theme by bringing out his brother Brady, former Panther Roberto Luongo, present Panther Alexander Barkov, and Miami Dolphins captain Christian Wilkins.
Nobody, nonetheless, might compete with the majesty of Crosby and Ovechkin. Add in Ovechkin’s son Sergei, who was the star of all-star weekend, and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser for the ages.
The profitable try was fairly primary. Each Crosby and Ovechkin carried the puck in whereas passing backwards and forwards. However it was their drop move to Sergei, who was calling frantically for the puck, who then tucked it into the web, that sealed the deal.
Having two of the best gamers of all-time, heated rivals turned associates, staff up on the NHL’s premier mid-season occasion was excellent.
Pitch ‘n Puck
Contestants: Nick Suzuki (MTL), Clayton Keller (ARI), Jason Robertson (DAL), Johnny Gaudreau (CBJ)
Winner: Nick Suzuki
One of many two pre-taped occasions, Pitch ‘n Puck had the advantage of being edited right down to the perfect elements. And, frankly, that made it fairly entertaining.
Given the Florida location and hockey gamers’ inclination for golf, infusing the 2 sports activities collectively was a no brainer, and the outcomes paid off. With Glad Gilmore vibes obvious, the quartet of contestants all put their respective backs into their drives, ripping white pucks onto the inexperienced to various levels of success.
Suzuki was a leg above the remainder for the whole occasion, nailing his drive to kick issues off after which exhibiting some adept care in his quick recreation to finish up victorious.
Hopefully, this may level the NHL within the path of utilizing their host metropolis to their benefit in future all-star weekends, including a really wanted shot within the arm to a quickly stale abilities competitors.
Tendy Tandem
Goalie Contestants: Juuse Saros (NSH), Connor Hellebuyck (WIN), Stuart Skinner (EDM), Logan Thompson (VGK), Ilya Sorokin (NYI), Igor Shesterkin (NYR), Linus Ullmark (BOS), Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)
Winner: Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck
The NHL took an enormous swing with Tendy Tandem, introducing the occasion for the primary time this yr within the hopes that incorporating each participant in attendance – from the goaltenders to the ladies’s gamers to the skaters – would inject some life into the talents competitors.
As an alternative, it sucked it proper out.
Tendy Tandem was doomed to fail from the start because of the occasion that includes a algorithm roughly the size of a mid-tier Stephen King novel that exactly nobody within the constructing or watching at house understood.
There have been just a few highlights, nonetheless. Sarah Nurse pulled off a Forsberg breakaway transfer towards Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin to the delight of the South Florida devoted, and Juuse Saros and Stuart Skinner scored a goalie purpose.
Apart from that, although, this one was a flop. Saros and Connor Hellbuyck took house the highest prize for the Central Division, which is cool, I suppose.
Accuracy Problem
Contestants: Nazem Kadri (CGY), Nikita Kucherov (TBL), Artemiy Panarin (NYR), Brock Nelson (NYI), Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Vladimir Tarasenko (STL), Kevin Hayes (PHI), Alexander Barkov (FLA), Connor McDavid (EDM)
Winner: Brock Nelson
Credit score the place credit score’s due: the accuracy problem featured just about the one dose of drama on the evening, with Nazem Kadri narrowly beating Connor McDavid to e-book a visit to the ultimate.
For essentially the most half, although, the makes an attempt went certainly one of two methods: the participant in query knocked down the targets with intense accuracy in underneath 16 seconds, or they bought caught on one of many first two and stored attempting till the occasion politely ended.
Brock Nelson’s technique of taking pictures the puck as softly as potential was actually a selection. It labored, in fact. It simply wasn’t too entertaining.
The secret is not velocity, although. And Nelson managed to out-aim arguably the perfect participant to ever lace up skates. Not too shabby.
Hardest Shot
Contestants: Elias Pettersson (VAN), Josh Morrissey (WPG), Seth Jones (CHI), Alexander Ovechkin (WSH)
Winner: Elias Pettersson
The problem required 4 NHL gamers to shoot the puck as exhausting as they will. Elias Pettersson shot it the toughest. Subsequently, he was the winner.
That is mainly it. A remarkably easy occasion that match the invoice.
Information Abstract:
- NHL All-Star Abilities Competitors Recap and Response
- Examine all information and articles from the newest NHL updates.