NHL Skills Competition & All-Star Game
- Updated: February 1, 2017
Skills Competition
Arguably my favorite part of the weekend was the skills competition, where the players were able to display their prowess and technique without the impediment of another team blocking their play. While it was difficult to adjust to cheering for, say, a Sharks player, or a Duck, who for the purposes of the weekend were on a team with our Kings’ Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter, it was all in good fun. Things didn’t start well for the Pacific Division, who began the competition against the Central division in the skills relay. While it’s clear to anyone who’s watched him play that Doughty is a skilled defenseman, he isn’t the most accurate shooter, so having him handle the passing section of the relay – where the player ‘passes’ into four small nets – was perhaps not the best representation of said skills. “When everyone’s watching it’s a different feeling,” Doughty said, “it’s not like just doing it in practice, and that’s kind of why you mess up a little bit. If it was just me against someone else, obviously I’d want to win. I think more so I was just trying to get faster and get the pucks in the net for my team and help us win.” They fell short by almost 20 seconds, though watching Auston Matthews stick handle for the Atlantic was a thing of beauty. The Metropolitan division were the clear winner of the extra point for fastest team overall, finishing in 1:21:70. 
The four line challenge was up next, a new event this year where each shooter will shoot from one of four shooting positions; near blue line, center line, far blue line and far goal line. The first shooter from each team takes two shots from the near blue line in an attempt to score goals in either the upper left or upper right corner of the net. Successful shots score one point for their team. The second shooter from each team takes two shots from center ice in an attempt to score goals in one of the four corners of the net. Successful shots in the lower corners score one point and successful shots in the upper corners score three points for their team. The third shooter from each team takes two shots from the far blue line in an attempt to score a goal in one of the four corners of the net or the five hole. Successful shots in the lower corners or five hole score one point and successful shots in the upper corners score five points for their team. The fourth shooter from each team takes two shots from the far goal line in an attempt to score a goal in the five hole. Successful shots score 10 points for their team. Captains can substitute the fourth shooter with a goalie. A successful shot by a goalie is awarded 20 points for their team. The challenge was harder than it looked. Ryan Suter was the only one who successfully scored from the near blue line. Wayne Simmonds scored 1 point from the center line, and Brent Burns scored 3 by putting one in the upper corner from the center. No one scored from the far blue line, but easily one of the cutest moment of the competition was when Ryan Kesler let his 6-year-old son Ryker shoot for him from there. Mike Smith had the whole crowd cheering for him when he astoundingly made the shot from the goal line straight into the 5 hole, securing the Pacific the overall point for the competition. “I couldn’t believe it really,” said Smith. “I was just as shocked as everyone else was I think. It was pretty fun and pretty cool.” 
Accuracy shooting was an easy win over all for Sidney Crosby, who shot his four targets in 10.73 seconds. Connor McDavid bested Patrick Laine, and (oh so, so happily for me) Jeff Carter bested Patrick Kane, giving the Pacific a further 2 points. McDavid was the fastest skater, obviously, finishing his lap in 13.02 seconds, and Shea Webber won the hardest shot rocketing the puck at 102.8 mph. Doughty also won a point for the Pacific by besting Nathan MacKinnon, putting them in the lead points wise and one of the participants in the shootout. They were up against the Atlantic division, the winner given the opportunity to choose their opponent in the All-Star Game the next day, and whether they’d play first or second. Again Kesler let Ryker sub in for him, and wouldn’t you know it, he scored on Carey Price. (Seriously y’all it doesn’t get cuter than that!) Little Kesler was the only one to score for the Pacific Division, so with Brad Marchand, Webber and Crosby scoring the Atlantic chose to play the Metropolitan division second for the big match up. “I don’t think any team sets up nice for the goaltender,” said Mike Smith, “they’re all going to be tough opponents.” Related Posts
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