Las Vegas (AFP) - Claude Giroux scored twice and was named MVP and Tristan Jarry was superb in goal as the Metropolitan Division defeated the Central Division 5-3 to win the 2022 NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Giroux scored on a one-timer in the first period and then finished off a give-and-go with Jake Guentzel in the second for his second goal of the game at T-Mobile Arena.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Jarry stopped 14 of 15 shots, including a couple of clutch saves off Kirill Kaprizov and Jordan Kyrou in the final moments of the game.Frederik Andersen played goal in the first half for the Metropolitan, making seven saves.
Canada's Giroux, who was competing in his seventh All-Star Game, earned his first MVP with a total of three goals in two games as he will split the $1 million prize money with his 10 teammates.
"It was fun to win for the division," Giroux said.
All-Star festivities began Friday night with the skills competition and included Sweden's Victor Hedman winning the hardest shot and St.Louis Blues forward Kyrou being crowned the fastest skater.
They were followed by Saturday's three-on-three tournament featuring the four divisional teams playing games lasting two periods of 10 minutes each at the T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The All-Star Game was not held last season because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Canada had the most players in the game with 17 followed by the USA, which had 16. Sweden and Russia both had three each.
In the first game of the three-on-three tournament, Jack Hughes scored two late goals as the Metropolitan Division defeated the Pacific 6-4.
The Metropolitan led 3-1 at the end of the first on goals by Tom Wilson, Giroux and Sebastian Aho.
The Pacific came back to tie the score 3-3 in the second period on goals by Jonathan Marchessault and Jordan Eberle but the Metropolitan pulled away with the help of Hughes' markers.
Eberle's goal was the first ever at an All-Star Game by a Seattle Kraken player, the expansion club only debuting this season, as he beat Jarry on a breakaway with a shot high to the glove side.
The three members of the Golden Knights were on the Pacific team, including coach Peter DeBoer, who joked about Las Vegas' famous nightlife.
"We got off to a slow start," DeBoer said."But we eventually got into the game.I'll be honest with you, I'm a little hungover today.I'm not going to lie to you."
In the second semi-final, Alex DeBrincat, Kyrou and Kyle Connor had two goals each as the Central Division punched a ticket to the final with a 8-5 shootout victory over the Atlantic Division.
NHL players were originally to have followed the All-Star Game with some top names playing in the Beijing Winter Olympics, but that plan was scrapped after more than 100 games were postponed due to Covid-19, forcing the league to use February to play postponed games rather than allow top stars to compete in China.
The NHL announced Friday that the 2023 All-Star Game will be held in south Florida at the home of the Florida Panthers.
There was no shortage of star power on the four teams but a number of skilled players were glaring omissions.
Crosby snub
The biggest All-Star snub was superstar Sidney Crosby, who has been leading the Pittsburgh Penguins in scoring since returning from an injury that caused him to miss the start of the season.Crosby had six points in the three games leading up to the All-Star Game break.
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand was also not invited and the New York Rangers would have liked to see goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who has the lowest goals-against average in the league.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was also missing after testing positive for Covid-19.
