Success vs. Failure
Event #1 – Fastest Skater
Round 1 -Having guys skate backwards is a true test of skill, speed, balance and endurance. Success
Rounds 2, 4–6 - Traditional “who’s faster” event, with head to head competition.
Round 3 – Goalies…. Yeah, not for nothing but there’s a reason why these guys never have to skate too much other than to the bench on delayed penalties or for the extra attacker at the end of the game, Tim Thomas proved why this heat received a FAIL
Overall - Fastest Skater is a tried, but true event for the skills competition, needs to stay and deserves to, just take out the goalie heats, could be a disaster. PASS
Winner: Michael Grabner, NYI
Event #2 – Breakway Challenge
Yeah, its really cool to get the fans a part of the event and allow them a chance to decide something other than the starters. But this is not the NBA, and we should be proud of that. During this competition, the announcers were wondering who was going to break out “props” to help their style score. It was a cool idea when it first came out, but [someone correct me if I am wrong] the winner should at least net one goal during his routine.
Overall: Some creative stunts [Subban switching uniforms with Skinner to try and get some support from Skinner’s home fans, Perry with the lacrosse moves, Ovechki’s cue-ball attempt], otherwise, not really thrilling and uneventful. FAIL
Winner: Alex Ovechkin, WAS
Event #3 – Accuracy Shooting
This was another event which has been around forever and deservedly so. Watching players go head to head was awesome. Biggest issue were the mistakes by the organizers in allowing the referees decide when to start. The beginning of the event [i.e. when the players begin shooting at the targets] should be signaled by the arena horn sounding after both refs make sure the shooters are ready. Had this actually decided something critical, I’m sure more attention would be paid, but they’re lucky Toews was looking up when the whistle went off, otherwise he could have easily taken his first feed and hit the crew member fixing his target.
Overall: another event which deserves to stay thanks to the head to head modification as well as the overall tradition and excitement surrounding it. Work out the kinks for next year. PASS
Winner: Daniel Sedin, VAN
Event #4 – Skills Challenge Relay
I personally felt this was the best event of the competition. Cross ice one-timers were awesome to watch, from all three angles. The passing accuracy was also a very well thought out part of the event. Stick handling around the Gatorade Bottles was also a traditional exercise typically done during practice, but tonight put 4 players in showcase (Tyler Ennis dominated, IMO). The only part I wasn’t too interested in was the weaving between the red pucks, seemed to be more of a recycled idea from the stick handling, finally they closed out with the accuracy drill.
Overall: Resounding success
Winner: Team Lidstrom 2 [Nicklas Lidstrom DET, Brad Richards DAL, Loui Eriksson DAL, Oliver Ekman-Larsson PHX, Henrik Sedin VAN, Martin St. Louis TBL, Matt Duchene COL, Jonathan Toews CHI]
Event #5 – Hardest Shot
This event has been a success for the past two All Star Weekends due simply to the fact that one participant has come close, and then broke, a record which had at the time stood for over a decade. Zdeno Chara has proven to have the hardest shot in the league, and ever for that matter. His record shot of 105.6 MPH two years ago broke Al Iafrate’s record which he set at Madison Square Garden in 1994. Two years ago, Shea Webber emerged as Chara’s biggest threat to his repeat run as Hardest Shooter in the NHL. Last night, going into the final shot, Webber had a 2 MPH advantage until Big Z unleashed a slap shot that not only topped Webber’s mark, but his own mark set in Montreal with 105.9 MPH.
Surprises of the night were Dustin Byfuglien’s 102.4 and Steven Stamkos breaking the century mark as well with a 101.8 blast of his own.
Overall: Success all around except for Ovechkin’s CCM sticks failing, switching to Easton and the radar gun failing not once, but twice on only his shots.
Winner: Chara, BOS with 105.9
Event #6 – Elimination Shootout
A glorified shootout closed out the evening. Some players seemed to approach it as “oh my god just get me out of here” while others seemed to genuinely try to score and give the crowd a rise. In the end, Corey Perry outlasted Martin St. Louis for the overall title, connecting on all three of his attempts.
Overall: A good way to close out the night, but again some players seemed disinterested. Still a success though.
Winner: Corey Perry, ANH
Overall Winner: Team Staal (33) over Team Lidstrom (22)
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