Metropolitan vs. Atlantic
There will be a strong local flavor and plenty of newcomers to the event when 44 players visit the Enterprise Center in St. Louis for the 66th NHL All-Star Game on Saturday. The reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues will have four players on the Central Division roster for the 3-on-3 tournament, including goaltender Jordan Binnington and veteran forward David Perron - two of the 20 first-year All-Star Game participants.
“You don’t know if you’re going to get many opportunities,” Perron, who leads the Blues with 21 goals and 49 points, told NHL.com. “You always watched the All-Star Game as a kid, as a hockey fan. You see the best players play each other. We all know that the intensity is not the same, but it’s still pretty cool to be named there one time.” The Atlantic Division owns the league’s top goal scorer in David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins (37) while the Pacific Division features the NHL point leaders in the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (76) and Leon Draisaitl (75). “It’s nice to see guys that you battle against, guys you usually go up against head-to-head and see what great guys they are away from the rink,” Draisaitl told NHL.com of his upcoming second appearance. “I’m excited to go back.” The Metropolitan Division won last season’s four-team tournament for its second victory in the event, tying the Pacific for the most in the first four years of the 3-on-3 format, and hopes to break the tie led by the NHL’s point leader among defensemen, John Carlson of the Washington Capitals (60).
TIME: 8:15 p.m. ET. TV: NBC
ABOUT THE METROPOLITAN: Washington’s Alex Ovechkin decided to skip the event and was replaced by defenseman Kris Letang from the Pittsburgh Penguins as captain to lead a blue line that includes Carlson, Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes’ first-time All Star Jaccob Slavin. Four more newcomers join New York Islanders’ center Mathew Barzal up front with Washington’s T.J. Oshie, Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils’ Nico Hischier giving the team youth. Goalie Braden Holtby of the Capitals makes his fifth appearance and Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry (2.16 goals-against, .929 save percentage) will play in his first All-Star Game.
ABOUT THE ATLANTIC: Pastrnak was supposed to be joined by Boston teammate Tuukka Rask, but the veteran goalie dropped out, and last season’s Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (league-high 24 wins) replaced him to join Toronto’s Frederik Andersen (22) in net. The Atlantic boasts seven-year All Star Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman on defense. Pastrnak is joined by high-scoring Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres (28 goals, 72 points) along with newcomers Tyler Bertuzzi of the Detroit Red Wings, Anthony Duclair and Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers and Toronto’s Mitch Marner up front.