SAP Center, San Jose | |||
---|---|---|---|
January 26, 2019[1] | |||
Game one | Central 10 – 4 Pacific | ||
Game two | Metropolitan 7 – 4 Atlantic | ||
Game three | Metropolitan 10 – 5 Central | ||
MVP | Sidney Crosby | ||
Attendance | 17,562 | ||
|
The 2019 National Hockey LeagueAll-Star Game was held at SAP Center in San Jose, home of the San Jose Sharks on January 26, 2019.[1] San Jose last held the NHL All Star Game in 1997.[2] This was the fourth consecutive All-Star Game that used a four-team, 3-on-3, single elimination format, with one team representing each of the league's four divisions. After years of being held on a Sunday, the 2019 All-Star Game was played on a Saturday, January 26, at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST, while the Skills Competition was also moved from its traditional Saturday night to Friday, January 25, 2019.[1]
The Metropolitan All-Stars won the All-Star Game, which was in its fourth straight year of a four-team, 3-on-3, single elimination format, with one team representing each of the league's four divisions. The team won $1 million (split 11 ways between the players). Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins was named the Most Valuable Player, scoring four goals and four assists. He received a new 2019 Honda Passport.
2019 NHL All-Star Game live stream: Watch David Pastrnak on Atlantic squad Fresh off his win at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition, Bruins forward David Pastrnak seeks another victory with the.
- 1Skills Competition
- 1.1Results
- 2Rosters
- 4Game summaries
Skills Competition[edit]
The Skills Competition took place the day before the All-Star Game on Friday January 25, 2019 at the SAP Center. The winners of each event were awarded $25,000 in prize money.[3]
The league invited Renata Fast and Rebecca Johnston from the Canadian Women's National Team, and Brianna Decker and Kendall Coyne Schofield from the U.S. Women's National Team, to demonstrate some of the events. After Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (Central Division) pulled out of the fastest-skater event due to a bruised left foot, Coyne Schofield was named as his replacement, becoming the first woman to compete in the All-Stars skills competition.[4]
Brianna Decker demonstrated the premier passer skill, but she was not part of the competition. She was, in fact, three seconds faster than Leon Draisaitl and would have won had her time been included as they did with Kendall Coyne Schofield.[5] This prompted the hashtag #PayDecker on Twitter, as women's hockey salaries are a fraction of men's hockey salaries.[6] On January 26, hockey equipment company CCM announced they would give Decker the $25,000 she would have received for winning the competition.[7]
Results[edit]
Fastest Skater[edit]
Nat. | Player | Team | Division | Time (Seconds) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | Pacific | 13.378[8] | |
Jack Eichel | Buffalo Sabres | Atlantic | 13.582 | |
Mathew Barzal | New York Islanders | Metropolitan | 13.780 | |
Miro Heiskanen | Dallas Stars | Central | 13.914 | |
Elias Pettersson | Vancouver Canucks | Pacific | 13.930 | |
Cam Atkinson | Columbus Blue Jackets | Metropolitan | 14.152 | |
Kendall Coyne | USA National Team | N/A | 14.346 | |
Clayton Keller | Arizona Coyotes | Pacific | 14.526 |
Puck Control Play[edit]
Nat. | Player | Team | Division | Time (Seconds) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Johnny Gaudreau | Calgary Flames | Pacific | 27.045[9] | |
Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks | Central | 28.611 | |
Claude Giroux | Philadelphia Flyers | Metropolitan | 30.270 | |
Mark Scheifele | Winnipeg Jets | Central | 32.161 | |
Gabriel Landeskog | Colorado Avalanche | Central | 33.425 | |
John Tavares | Toronto Maple Leafs | Atlantic | 35.210 | |
Jeff Skinner | Buffalo Sabres | Atlantic | 35.407 | |
Elias Pettersson | Vancouver Canucks | Pacific | 43.622 |
Save Streak[edit]
Nat. | Player | Team | Division | Division Faced | Save Streak |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henrik Lundqvist | New York Rangers | Metropolitan | Atlantic | 12[10] | |
Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | Atlantic | Metropolitan | 8 | |
Devan Dubnyk | Minnesota Wild | Central | Pacific | 7 | |
Marc-Andre Fleury | Vegas Golden Knights | Pacific | Central | 6 | |
John Gibson | Anaheim Ducks | Pacific | Central | 3 | |
Jimmy Howard | Detroit Red Wings | Atlantic | Metropolitan | 2 | |
Pekka Rinne | Nashville Predators | Central | Pacific | 2 | |
Braden Holtby | Washington Capitals | Metropolitan | Atlantic | 2 |
Premier Passer[edit]
Nat. | Player | Team | Division | Time (Seconds) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers | Pacific | 69.088[11] | |
Sebastian Aho | Carolina Hurricanes | Metropolitan | 78.530 | |
Ryan O'Reilly | St. Louis Blues | Central | 85.897 | |
Keith Yandle | Florida Panthers | Atlantic | 94.611 | |
Thomas Chabot | Ottawa Senators | Atlantic | 100.568 | |
Roman Josi | Nashville Predators | Central | 107.128 | |
Erik Karlsson | San Jose Sharks | Pacific | 118.824 | |
Mikko Rantanen | Colorado Avalanche | Central | 137.379 |
Hardest Shot[edit]
Nat. | Player | Team | Division | Speed (MPH) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Attempt 1 | Attempt 2 | ||||
John Carlson | Washington Capitals | Metropolitan | 102.8 mph[12] | 100.8 mph | |
Brent Burns | San Jose Sharks | Pacific | Miss | 100.6 | |
Seth Jones | Columbus Blue Jackets | Metropolitan | 99.4 | 95.1 | |
Steven Stamkos | Tampa Bay Lightning | Atlantic | 96.2 | 93.1 |
Accuracy Shooting[edit]
Nat. | Player | Team | Division | Time (Seconds) |
---|---|---|---|---|
David Pastrnak | Boston Bruins | Atlantic | 11.309 seconds[13] | |
Kris Letang | Pittsburgh Penguins | Metropolitan | 12.693 seconds | |
Drew Doughty | Los Angeles Kings | Pacific | 13.591 seconds | |
Joe Pavelski | San Jose Sharks | Pacific | 14.423 seconds | |
Blake Wheeler | Winnipeg Jets | Central | 18.585 seconds | |
Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | Atlantic | 19.706 seconds | |
Kyle Palmieri | New Jersey Devils | Metropolitan | 20.209 seconds | |
Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | Atlantic | 35.626 seconds |
Rosters[edit]
As in the previous three All-Star Games, captaincy of each division was determined by a fan vote, the 2019 vote running from December 1, 2018, until December 23, 2018.[14] On December 27, the four captains were announced by the NHL. For the third straight year, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers was selected to captain the Pacific Division, along with first time captains Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Atlantic Division and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche for the Central Division. Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was selected for the Metropolitan Division[15], but Ovechkin opted to abstain from the game to rest.[16] Fans were also permitted, after most of the rest of the rosters were set, to vote for a 'Last Man In' for each division.[17] The Last Men In—Jeff Skinner (Atlantic), Gabriel Landeskog (Central), Kris Letang (Metropolitan) and Leon Draisaitl (Pacific)—were announced January 11.[18]
On January 6, the coaches for the All-Star Game were announced, chosen from the team in each division with the highest points percentage through January 5, roughly the regular season's halfway point: Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic), Todd Reirden of the Washington Capitals (Metropolitan), Paul Maurice of the Winnipeg Jets (Central), and Bill Peters of the Calgary Flames (Pacific).[19]
Eastern Conference[edit]
Head coach: Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nat. | Player | Team | Pos. | # |
Auston Matthews (C[15]) | Toronto Maple Leafs | F | 34 | |
Jack Eichel | Buffalo Sabres | F | 9 | |
Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | F | 86 | |
David Pastrnak | Boston Bruins | F | 88 | |
Steven Stamkos | Tampa Bay Lightning | F | 91 | |
John Tavares | Toronto Maple Leafs | F | 91 | |
Jeff Skinner~ | Buffalo Sabres | F | 53 | |
Thomas Chabot | Ottawa Senators | D | 72 | |
Keith Yandle | Florida Panthers | D | 3 | |
Jimmy Howard | Detroit Red Wings | G | 35 | |
Andrei Vasilevskiy† | Tampa Bay Lightning | G | 88 |
- ~ Voted as 'Last Man In'.[18]
- † Replaced Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) due to injury.[20]
Head coach: Todd Reirden, Washington Capitals | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nat. | Player | Team | Pos. | # |
Sebastian Aho | Carolina Hurricanes | F | 20 | |
Cam Atkinson | Columbus Blue Jackets | F | 13 | |
Mathew Barzal | New York Islanders | F | 13 | |
Sidney Crosby* | Pittsburgh Penguins | F | 87 | |
Claude Giroux | Philadelphia Flyers | F | 28 | |
Kyle Palmieri‡ | New Jersey Devils | F | 21 | |
John Carlson | Washington Capitals | D | 74 | |
Seth Jones | Columbus Blue Jackets | D | 3 | |
Kris Letang~ | Pittsburgh Penguins | D | 58 | |
Braden Holtby | Washington Capitals | G | 70 | |
Henrik Lundqvist | New York Rangers | G | 30 |
- ~ Voted as 'Last Man In'.[18]
- †Alexander Ovechkin (C) (Washington Capitals) opted to abstain from the game to rest.[16]
- ‡ Replaced Taylor Hall (New Jersey Devils) due to injury.[21]
- * Did not participate in Skills Competition due to illness.[22]
Western Conference[edit]
Head coach: Paul Maurice, Winnipeg Jets | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nat. | Player | Team | Pos. | # |
Nathan MacKinnon (C[15])* | Colorado Avalanche | F | 29 | |
Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks | F | 88 | |
Ryan O'Reilly | St. Louis Blues | F | 90 | |
Mikko Rantanen | Colorado Avalanche | F | 96 | |
Mark Scheifele | Winnipeg Jets | F | 55 | |
Blake Wheeler | Winnipeg Jets | F | 26 | |
Gabriel Landeskog~ | Colorado Avalanche | F | 92 | |
Miro Heiskanen | Dallas Stars | D | 4 | |
Roman Josi | Nashville Predators | D | 59 | |
Devan Dubnyk | Minnesota Wild | G | 40 | |
Pekka Rinne | Nashville Predators | G | 35 |
- ~ Voted as 'Last Man In'.[18]
- * Did not participate in Skills Competition or All-Star Games due to injury (still attended All-Star weekend). Replaced by Kendall Coyne Schofield in the Skills Competition.[23]
Head coach: Bill Peters, Calgary Flames | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nat. | Player | Team | Pos. | # |
Connor McDavid (C[15]) | Edmonton Oilers | F | 97 | |
Johnny Gaudreau | Calgary Flames | F | 13 | |
Clayton Keller | Arizona Coyotes | F | 9 | |
Joe Pavelski | San Jose Sharks | F | 8 | |
Elias Pettersson | Vancouver Canucks | F | 40 | |
Leon Draisaitl~ | Edmonton Oilers | F | 29 | |
Brent Burns | San Jose Sharks | D | 88 | |
Drew Doughty | Los Angeles Kings | D | 8 | |
Erik Karlsson | San Jose Sharks | D | 65 | |
Marc-Andre Fleury | Vegas Golden Knights | G | 29 | |
John Gibson | Anaheim Ducks | G | 36 |
- ~ Voted as 'Last Man In'.[18]
Bracket[edit]
Semi-Finals | Final | ||||
Central | 10 | ||||
Pacific | 4 | Central | 5 | ||
Metropolitan | 7 | Metropolitan | 10 | ||
Atlantic | 4 |
Game summaries[edit]
First semifinal game[edit]
January 26, 2019 | Central | 10–4 | Pacific | SAP Center | Recap |
Second semifinal game[edit]
January 26, 2019 | Metropolitan | 7–4 | Atlantic | SAP Center | Recap |
Final[edit]
January 26, 2019 | Metropolitan | 10–5 | Central | SAP Center | Recap |
Uniforms[edit]
The All-Star uniforms for this game were created by Adidas Parley, the partnership between Adidas and the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans that produces products made with plastic ocean debris. Also for the first time, the uniforms featured each player's respective team logo on the front instead of the NHL shield or conference logo.[24]
Festivities and entertainment[edit]
This year's NHL Fan Fair, featuring various fan activities during All-Star Weekend, was held between Thursday, January 24 and Sunday, January 27 at the San Jose Convention Center.[25]
Country music artist Chad Brownlee performed the Canadian national anthem while singer Lauren Jauregui performed the U.S. national anthem. Singer Bebe Rexha performed during the second intermission. The Stanford Band also performed during the game.[26]
Television[edit]
The All-Star Game and skills competition were broadcast in the United States by NBC and NBCSN, respectively. In Canada, both the All-Star Game and skills competition were broadcast In English on both CBC and Sportsnet (under the Hockey Night in Canada branding), and on TVA Sports in French.[14]
The NHL conducted a trial of player and puck tracking during the All-Star Game with technology developed by SAP and Sportvision, using microchips embedded inside pucks and jerseys. The technology enables on-air features such as speed displays, puck tracking graphics (reminiscent of the FoxTrax graphics utilized in the late 1990's by previous U.S. national NHL broadcaster Fox, also developed by Sportvision), and marker graphics hovering above players.[27] Using the system, NBC and Sportsnet both showcased some tracking data on their respective broadcasts,[28] while NBC also offered a secondary broadcast of the game via its digital platforms to showcase expanded real-time statistics and other information.[29][30] NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated during All-Star weekend that the system is planned to be deployed to all 31 NHL arenas prior to the start of the 2019–20 NHL season.[28][31]
References[edit]
- ^ abc'NHL moves up All-Star skills competition, game in 2019'. Associated Press. ESPN. April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^Pashelka, Curtis (January 27, 2017). 'San Jose picked to host 2019 NHL All-Star Game'. The Mercury News. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^'2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills results'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^Benjamin, Amalie (January 25, 2019). 'Coyne Schofield shines in fastest skater at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'#PayDecker: Fans demand women's hockey star get paid after NHL skills comp | CBC Sports'. CBC Sports. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^@THNMattLarkin (26 Jan 2019). 'Brianna Decker: 'Karlsson went after me, so I was like, 'OK, I think I might have beaten him,' but I didn't know how long it took me. I was just casually going through the demo.' Leon Draisaitl: 'She beat me? Wow. That's really impressive. Good for her.' #PayDecker' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^@CCMHockey (26 Jan 2019). 'We're gonna #PayDecker' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^'McDavid wins fastest skater for third straight year at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'Gaudreau wins puck control for second straight year at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'Lundqvist wins save streak at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'Draisaitl wins premier passer at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'Carlson tops Burns, wins hardest shot at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'Pastrnak wins accuracy shooting at All-Star Skills'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ ab'NHL All-Star Game fan vote now open'. NHL.com. December 1, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
- ^ abcdKimelman, Adam (December 27, 2018). 'McDavid, Ovechkin, Matthews, MacKinnon voted NHL All-Star captains'. NHL.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
- ^ ab'Capitals' Alex Ovechkin to skip NHL All-Star Game'. sportsnet.ca. January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^Gulitti, Tom (January 3, 2019). 'NHL All-Star Game Last Men In ballot revealed'. NHL.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ abcdefghi'Skinner, Landeskog, Letang, Draisaitl named Last Men In winners'. NHL.com. 11 January 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^'NHL announces 2019 All-Star game coaches'. NBC Sports. Yahoo! Sports. January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^Emily Sadler (January 8, 2019). 'Lightning's Vasilevskiy replaces Canadiens' Price on All-Star roster'. sportsnet.ca. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^'Hall to miss NHL All-Star Game for Devils'. NHL.com. January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^'Crosby to miss All-Star Skills with illness'. tsn.ca. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^Benjamin, Amalie (January 26, 2019). 'MacKinnon out of All-Star Game with bruised foot'. nhl.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^'NHL All-Star jerseys made of ocean garbage'. ESPN. January 10, 2019.
- ^'2019 NHL Fan Fair presented by SAP'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^'Brownlee, country star, Canucks draft pick, to sing at All-Star Game'. NHL.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^Kerschbaumer, Ken. 'NHL About To Enter New Era of Statistical Insight via On-Bench App Developed by League, Apple, SAP'. Sports Video Group. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ abWhyno, Stephen. 'NHL gets into data game'. Associated Press. Toronto Star. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^Costa, Brandon. 'In NBC Sports' NHL All-Star Game Production, Player/Puck Tracking Is the Belle of the Ball'. Sports Video Group. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^Thomas, Ian. 'NBC Sports readies new moves for NHL All-Star Game'. New York Business Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^Hornick, Matt (January 25, 2019). 'Gary Bettman announces puck, player tracking for 2019-20 NHL season'. Sporting News. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2019_National_Hockey_League_All-Star_Game&oldid=896273838'
Connor McDavid will get a chance to show off his dominance in San Jose at the All-Star Game.Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
The All-Star Game in the four major U.S. sports rarely captures the public's imagination in the modern era.
The NHL was not immune to this issue, and the Lords of the Game were not happy when All-Star Games became scorefests with both teams either in or approaching double figures in goal totals.
There was no hitting and no defense in any of these games, and there was more intensity in the beer line than there was on the ice.
However, after changing lanes from Eastern Conference All-Stars vs. Western Conference All-Stars to captains pick their own teams, the NHL decided to make the main component of the game a three-on-three contest between the league's four divisions.
The is the fourth year of a three-on-three format that features the Atlantic Division meeting the Metropolitan stars in one semifinal and the Central facing off against the Pacific in the other, and the winners meeting for the title.
While the response has been somewhat mixed, there is more intensity as the tournament produces a $1 million prize for the division that wins the title, and the games have been more competitive.
Fans in San Jose and those watching on NBC Saturday night at 8 p.m. will be able to watch the NHL All-Star Game. This is the first time since 1997 that the NHL All-Star Game will be broadcast in prime time on network television.
Here's a look at the four teams, and an analysis of the rosters.
Atlantic Division
All-Star appearances presented parenthetically.
F Jack Eichel, BUF (second)
F Nikita Kucherov, TBL (third)
F Auston Matthews, TOR (third)
F Jeff Skinner, BUF (second)
F David Pastrnak, BOS (first)
F Steven Stamkos, TBL (sixth)
F John Tavares, TOR (sixth)
D Thomas Chabot, OTT (first)
D Keith Yandle, FLA (third)
G Jimmy Howard, DET (second)
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (second)
F Nikita Kucherov, TBL (third)
F Auston Matthews, TOR (third)
F Jeff Skinner, BUF (second)
F David Pastrnak, BOS (first)
F Steven Stamkos, TBL (sixth)
F John Tavares, TOR (sixth)
D Thomas Chabot, OTT (first)
D Keith Yandle, FLA (third)
G Jimmy Howard, DET (second)
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (second)
The strength of this team may be the plethora of Tampa Bay Lightning players since that team has been far and away the best in league this season.
Start with Nikita Kucherov, the league's leading scorer with 22 goals and 78 points. He is a magnificent playmaker and a dangerous scorer when he decides to shoot.
Teammate Steven Stamkos has found the back of the net 26 times and he has been hot in recent weeks, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best puck stoppers in the league. He has 20-6-2 record along with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
Vasilevskiy will split the goaltending duties with Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are represented by Auston Matthews and John Tavares, while the Buffalo Sabres are sending Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner.
David Pastrnak is the lone Boston Bruin in the game, and he has flashed his talent with 27 goals and 29 assists.
A look at the Atlantic roster shows Thomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators and Keith Yandle of the Florida Panthers are the division's two defensemen.
While the three-on-three format is largely about offense, the Atlantic Division does not appear to be as strong as the others with its blueliners.
Metropolitan Division
F Sebastian Aho, CAR (first)
F Cam Atkinson, CBJ (second)
F Mathew Barzal, NYI (first)
F Sidney Crosby, PIT (fourth)
F Claude Giroux, PHI (sixth)
F Kyle Palmieri, NJD (first)
D John Carlson, WSH (first)
D Seth Jones, CBJ (second)
D Kris Letang, PIT (fifth)
G Braden Holtby, WSH (fourth)
G Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (fifth)
F Cam Atkinson, CBJ (second)
F Mathew Barzal, NYI (first)
F Sidney Crosby, PIT (fourth)
F Claude Giroux, PHI (sixth)
F Kyle Palmieri, NJD (first)
D John Carlson, WSH (first)
D Seth Jones, CBJ (second)
D Kris Letang, PIT (fifth)
G Braden Holtby, WSH (fourth)
G Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (fifth)
Sidney Crosby is the big-name superstar who will lead the Metropolitan Division, and he has scored 21 goals and 36 assists to this point in the season.
While those numbers are considerably less than stars like Kucherov, Mikko Rantanen, Connor McDavid and Johnny Gaudreau, it would not be a shock if Crosby was the best player on the ice in Saturday's action.
Crosby usually has Alex Ovechkin as a teammate in recent All-Star games, but that won't happen this time around. Ovechkin has a league-best 37 goals, but he announced he would not play and needs the time off.
As a result of his decision, the league has mandated Ovechkin will miss the Washington Capitals' first game after the All-Star break. The Capitals are represented by goalie Braden Holtby and defenseman John Carlson.
Holtby has a 17-12-3 record, a 3.11 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Carlson does an excellent job of creating offensively and he has eight goals and 39 assists.
Mathew Barzal will represent the New York Islanders and has 14 goals and 31 assists. Barzal has become the Islanders' go-to star since Tavares signed with the Maple Leafs in the offseason.
Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones are representing the Columbus Blue Jackets. Atkinson has become a clutch scorer for head coach John Tortorella's team with 27 goals and 21 assists, while Jones is a rising star who has netted seven goals and 22 assists from the blue line.
The New York Rangers have sent Henrik Lundqvist to the All-Star game, and he has a 15-12-7 record with a 3.01 GAA and a .908 save percentage.
This team appears to lack the firepower to win the competition since Ovechkin has decided to take a pass.
Central Division
F Patrick Kane, CHI (eighth)
F Nathan MacKinnon, COL (third)
F Ryan O'Reilly, STL (second)
F Mikko Rantanen, COL (first)
F Mark Scheifele, WPG (first)
F Blake Wheeler, WPG (second)
F Gabriel Landeskog, COL (first)
D Miro Heiskanen, DAL (first)
D Roman Josi, NSH (second)
G Devan Dubnyk, MIN (third)
G Pekka Rinne, NSH (third)
F Nathan MacKinnon, COL (third)
F Ryan O'Reilly, STL (second)
F Mikko Rantanen, COL (first)
F Mark Scheifele, WPG (first)
F Blake Wheeler, WPG (second)
F Gabriel Landeskog, COL (first)
D Miro Heiskanen, DAL (first)
D Roman Josi, NSH (second)
G Devan Dubnyk, MIN (third)
G Pekka Rinne, NSH (third)
Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche may be the sport's most underpublicized superstar, and he could use the All-Star game to fully introduce himself to sports fans.
Rantanen is the league's second-leading scorer behind Kucherov with 23 goals and 51 assists, and he is strong on the puck and an excellent decision maker when he passes.
He is joined by teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who has netted 27 goals and added 44 assists. MacKinnon will challenge McDavid as one of the fastest skaters in the league.
Explosive Patrick Kane is a veteran of All-Star games, and this is his eighth appearance. He has scored 29 goals and 42 assists this year and is having a fine scoring year for the struggling Chicago Blackhawks.
Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele represent the Winnipeg Jets. Wheeler is one of the best three-zone players in the league and he has nine goals and 52 assists to this point in the season, while Scheifele has netted 25 goals 34 assists.
The Nashville Predators are sending defenseman Roman Josi and goaltender Pekka Rinne. Josi is one of the league's best defenseman and has scored eight goals and 28 assists, while Rinne is 18-12-3 with a 2.47 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
Rinne will share goaltending duties with Devan Dubnyk, and the Minnesota Wild netminder brings a 20-16-3 record, a 2.57 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
The Central team looks strong in all areas and should have an excellent chance of performing well in this format.
Pacific Division
F Johnny Gaudreau, CGY (fifth)
F Clayton Keller, ARI (first)
F Connor McDavid, EDM (third)
F Joe Pavelski, SJS (third)
F Elias Pettersson, VAN (first)
F Leon Draisaitl, EDM (first)
D Brent Burns, SJS (sixth)
D Drew Doughty, LAK (fifth)
D Erik Karlsson, SJS (sixth)
G Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK (fourth)
G John Gibson, ANA (second)
F Clayton Keller, ARI (first)
F Connor McDavid, EDM (third)
F Joe Pavelski, SJS (third)
F Elias Pettersson, VAN (first)
F Leon Draisaitl, EDM (first)
D Brent Burns, SJS (sixth)
D Drew Doughty, LAK (fifth)
D Erik Karlsson, SJS (sixth)
G Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK (fourth)
G John Gibson, ANA (second)
The Pacific Division appears to be the favorite in this league, as the combination of McDavid and Gaudreau brings a dynamic offensive presence to this team.
Both players have scored 29 goals and 44 assists, and are tied for third in the league in scoring. They should get several chances to play together, and the results could be electric even though they are rivals during the regular season.
McDavid is joined by teammate Leon Draisaitl, and he has scored 27 goals and 34 assists. Draisaitl is an excellent passer who can also take advantage of his opportunities around the net.
The San Jose Sharks are represented by Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The home fans will give their stars a huge ovation, and all three are capable of playing starring roles.
Burns is the league's leading scorer among defensemen with nine goals and 46 assists. Pavelski has scored 27 goals 18 assists, and he is one of the top shooters in the league as he is connecting on 20.8 percent of his shots.
Karlsson has scored just three goals in his first season in San Jose, but he has handed out 40 assists and is starting to get used to his surroundings after his long tenure with the Ottawa Senators.
Drew Doughty is the lone member of the Los Angeles Kings to make the Pacific Division team, and he has five goals and 23 assists.
Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights will represent last year's Stanley Cup finalists, and he has a 27-14-4 record along with a 2.49 GAA and a .911.
He will split goaltending duties with John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson is 17-16-8 with a 2.74 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
This is a powerful team that will be difficult to beat.
Predictions
Semifinal round
Atlantic over Metropolitan: No Ovie, no win for Metro
Pacific over Central: McDavid-Gaudreau pairing is just too tough to beat
Championship
Pacific over Atlantic: Hometown heroes lead Pacific to $1M win.
In addition to the NBC broadcast, the game can beviewed onFuboTV.