SAN JOSE — Sidney Crosby and Mathew Barzal combined for 10 points as the Metropolitan Division defeated the Central Division 10-5 in the championship game of the 2019 NHL All-Star Game.
Crosby and Barzal both finished with two goals and three assists. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 10 shots he faced in the first half of the two period, three-on-three game at the SAP Center Arena in San Jose, California.
Crosby, who was named MVP of the game, assisted on Barzal’s goal against Devan Dubnyk just 22 seconds into the championship contest, and then made it 5-0 in the closing seconds of the first half off a pass from Barzal.
Crosby said the 21-year-old Barzal is the one of the best puck handlers and three-one-three players he has seen.
“Barzal makes it pretty easy. He lugs the puck so well and skates so well,” Crosby said of his fellow Canadian.
“Watching him out there against the best and I don’t see anyone that really beats him in that category.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins center Crosby did not participate in the skills competition Friday because of an illness.
Netminders Lundqvist and Braden Holtby backstopped the Metropolitan Division on its second title in four years of the three-on-three all-star format, and the $1 million prize shared by the winners of the four-team divisional tournament.
Mikko Rantanen scored two goals and Colorado teammate Gabriel Landeskog added one for the Central.
The Metropolitan defeated the Pacific Division 4-3 at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2017.
The NHL makes it mandatory for players to take part in the all-star game or face a suspension. Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin chose to take the ban rather than compete this year because of the grind of a NHL season.
Colorado Avalanche center and Central Division captain Nathan MacKinnon did not play because of a bruised left foot.
US women make a big splash
at NHL All-Star Game
A pair of US women’s national team members put on a show at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game skills competition with Brianna Decker earning $25,000 for an impressive display of passing skills.
Decker demonstrated in the passing drill event so was not included in the official results but some in attendance — including fans who took to Twitter — claimed she outperformed the eight NHL players.
One fan estimate, from a partial video posted online, said she finished her drill in one minute, six seconds.
So a Montreal-based hockey manufacturer announced Saturday it would give the Olympic gold medallist $25,000 which is the same amount that official winner Leon Draisaitl earned. Draisaitl posted a time of 1:09.
The NHL did not release the times of the demonstration drills and has not commented on Decker’s showing on Friday night at the SAP Center Arena in San Jose, California. It is noteworthy that a half dozen other NHL participants — Thomas Chabot, Roman Josi, Erik Karlsson, Ryan O’Reilly, Mikko Rantanen and Keith Yandle — took more than 1:25 to finish the drill.
Last year, US Olympian Hilary Knight demonstrated in the accuracy shooting drill, but her impressive time wasn’t included in the official results. — AFP
