The NHL All-Star Weekend was a rousing success this year, in what could be the last year of NHL hockey in a while, due to the impending labor dispute. This year’s YoungStars game, SuperSkills competition, and the All-Star game itself provided excitement to all who watched.
The YoungStars game featured up and coming players, in a flashy, four-on-four game. Anaheim’s Joffrey Lupul had a hat trick and Colorado’s Phil Sauve stopped 18 of 21 shots to lead the Western Conference over the East, 7-3.
In the SuperSkills Competition, there were both new and old faces winning each event. Philadelphia’s Jeremy Roenick won his second consecutive shooting accuracy contest, hitting the four targets in four shots. The only other players to ever register a perfect score in the event are Ray Bourque and Mark Messier. Last year, Roenick took the event by hitting the four targets in six shots.
Three Eastern Conference defensemen broke the 100 miles-per-hour mark in the hardest shot contest. The Islanders’ Adrian Aucoin and Canadiens’ Sheldon Souray each had shots of 102.2 mph to tie for first place, and Tampa Bay’s Pavel Kubina registered 101.2.
The fastest skater competition went to 30-year old New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who went around the ice in 13.8 seconds. The victory was Niedermayer’s second in the event. He also won in 1998, his only other All-Star appearance.
Florida goalie Roberto Luongo won the individual goaltender event, allowing just one goal in the “in the zone” contest and the breakaway relay. His individual efforts guided the East to a 13-6 victory in the SuperSkills competition.
The All-Star game itself was characterized by many odd-man rushes—a typical aspect of the game—and many spectacular saves, which is more unexpected. Martin Brodeur of the East and Marty Turco of the West stole the show early with several unbelievable saves, and the first period ended 1-1.
The East outscored the West 4-2 in the second period, led by a pair of Daniel Alfredsson goals, and a Messier tap-in goal on a beautiful no-look backhand pass by Niedermayer. Joe Sakic of the West also scored his second goal of the game in the period, which ended 5-3 in favor of the East.
In the third, the East went up 6-3 when Atlanta forward Ilya Kovalchuk scored a beautiful goal on a breakaway. Sakic later brought the West within two on his hat-trick goal, but the scoring ended there, and the game went to the East, 6-4. Sakic won the MVP award for the game, despite being on the losing team. This marks the second consecutive year this has happened.
With the All-Star game behind them, teams can now worry about loading up for the stretch drive, and getting as many points as possible in the weeks ahead, as the playoff picture will soon develop.
