Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux named MVP, Metropolitan team wins NHL All-Star Game

Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux scored three goals and the Metropolitan Division beat the Central Division 5-3 on Saturday in the final 3-on-3 game to win the NHL All-Star Game.

New Jersey’s Jack Hughes, 20, the youngest All-Star, also scored three goals for the Metropolitan team in the All-Star’s first extravagant trip to Las Vegas, which became a major milestone for the top league. hockey since the Vegas Golden Knights expansion entered in 2017.

Giroux, 34, a seven-time star player who could be on the move soon after spending his entire career with the Flyers, won his first All-Star MVP award with two goals in the finals and another in the semis. . -final.

He also collected the million dollar check shared between the winning team as captain of the Metropolitan team. Giroux got the job on late notice in place of Alex Ovechkin, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.

Giroux has clearly taken the All-Star showcase seriously, showing his goal-scoring abilities to any less serious contenders – and perhaps any potential suitors for the veteran forward, a trump card that could be cashed in by Philadelphia before that he only hits unrestricted free agency. this summer.

Frederik Andersen of Carolina was the top goaltender, allowing just three goals and one assist.

After a year-long hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL’s mid-season showcase returned to action with the 3-on-3 tournament format introduced in 2016 and used in all five All-Star events. previous ones.

Hughes scored twice for the Metropolitan team in their 6-4 win over Pacific in the first semi-final. Alex DeBrincat and Jordan Kyrou then scored twice apiece in Central’s 8-5 win over Atlantic in the second semi-final.

The Pacific loss disappointed a home crowd who wanted to cheer on their three Golden Knights All-Stars in the Finals. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer kept the event in perspective – and even confirmed that Las Vegas nightlife may have played a role in the slow starts of the world’s biggest hockey talents.

“We got off to a slow start,” DeBoer said. “It was probably due to nightlife in Las Vegas last night, but we finally got into the game. … I’ll be honest with you, I’m a bit hungover today. I’m not going to tell you. Yesterday I was all about skills (competition), and there were some great things going on, but today is a little hazy for me.

DeBoer gave the Vegas crowd what they wanted and threw his own Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo with Anaheim goaltender John Gibson.

But Tom Wilson, a first-time All-Star in Washington, scored for the Metropolitan team on the first shot of the game just 13 seconds after the opening faceoff, which left the Vegas crowd deeply annoyed. Sin City has booed Wilson on every occasion since his last hit against Marchessault in Game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals ultimately won by the Caps.

Wilson’s goal was the second-quickest to start an All-Star Game in any format, topped only by Rick Nash’s 12-second goal in 2009.

Edmonton stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl couldn’t find the net for Pacific. McDavid also finished a surprising fourth in the fastest skater competition at Friday’s skills challenge.

The Central bombarded the Atlantic in the second semi-final, scoring five goals in the second period.

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