Former Los Angeles Kings forward Wayne Simmonds scored the tie-breaking goal and was selected as the MVP as the Metropolitan Division defeated the Pacific Division, 4-3, to win the NHL All-Star Game Sunday at Staples Center.
And that’s a wrap! @Simmonds17 sealed the deal in a 4-3 win for the Metropolitan Division! #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/xTVytv3dQa
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) January 29, 2017
The NHL All-Star Game consisted of three 20-minute games of four-on-four hockey. The Pacific Division defeated the Central Division, 10-3, in the first game. The Metropolitan Division defeated the Atlantic Division, 10-6, in the second, with Simmonds scoring twice.
The Atlantic Division’s victory means the 11-man team will split $1 million. Simmonds will receive a Honda Ridgeline sport utility truck for being selected MVP.
Simmonds was traded by the Kings to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011, where he continues to play.
Simmonds goal with four minutes, 58 seconds to play in the final came five seconds after Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson scored the tying goal. Atkinson was added to the Atlantic Division team on Thursday, replacing injured Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin.
Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid appeared to give the Pacific Division a 4-2 lead with 6:36 left. However, the goal was nullified after a video review by the NHL’s Toronto-based Situation Room determined a Pacific Division player was offside.
Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby stopped all five shots he faced in the 10-minute second half of the final. Mike Smith of the Arizona Coyotes stopped nine of 11 shots for the Pacific Division.
The Pacific Division led 3-2 at the end of the 10-minute first half on back-to-back goals by McDavid and Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat. Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler received the lone assist on McDavid’s goal.
The two Los Angeles Kings on the Pacific Division team — defenseman Drew Doughty and forward Jeff Carter — assisted on the goal by San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski that opened the scoring in the final.
The Metropolitan Division then took a 2-1 lead on goals by Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk.
San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, a former King, stopped five of the seven shots he faced in the first half for the Pacific Division. Sergei Bobrovsky of Columbus stopped nine of 12 shots in the first half for the Metropolitan Division.
In the first game, Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau had two goals and an assist, Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler had a goal and three assists, while Doughty, Carter, Horvat and McDavid all had a goal and two assists.
Kesler, Pavelski and Sharks defenseman Brent Burns also scored for the Pacific Division.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews, St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko and Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban scored for the Central Division.
Smith stopped two of the three shots he faced in the first half. Martin Jones stopped seven of nine in the second.
Central Division goaltenders Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks and Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild both stopped six of 11 shots.
The Atlantic Division’s victory in Saturday’s skills competition gave it the right to choose when it would play and who it would face. It elected to play second and face the Metropolitan Division all-stars.
Atkinson and John Tavares of the New York Islanders both had two goals and two assists against the Atlantic Division. Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Taylor Hall of the New Jersey Devils and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals all had a goal and an assist. Seth Jones had the other goal.
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning had two goals and two assists for the Atlantic Division, while Vincent Trocheck of the Florida Panthers had one goal and three assists. Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay and Eric Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators each scored once.
Holtby stopped 12 of 15 shots and Bobrovsky seven of 10.
Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens stopped three of six shots and Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins eight of 14.
Beginning with last year’s game, the NHL switched the format of its all- star game from a traditional game to the format used in overtime of three skaters and a goaltender “not only as a way to enhance the competitiveness of the event, but also as a vehicle to highlight and emphasize the incredible skill, speed and athleticism it takes to play our game,” Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said on Nov. 18, 2015 in announcing the change.
–City News Service