All posts by Navin Vaswani

Atlantic wins Skills Competition, will face Metro in 2nd ASG semifinal

Atlantic 4 | Pacific 1

Skills Challenge Relay | Four Line Challenge | Accuracy Shooting | Fastest Skater | Hardest Shot | Shootout

We're set for Sunday's 3-on-3 All-Star tournament.

The Atlantic Division won the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday night. It opted to face the Metropolitan Division in the second semifinal Sunday, after defeating the Pacific Division in the Shootout, the competition's final event.

The Pacific and Central divisions will kick off the 3-on-3 festivities:

Game Teams Time
Semifinal 1 Central vs. Pacific 3 p.m. ET
Semifinal 2 Metropolitan vs. Atlantic 4:30 p.m. ET

The winners of each semifinal will battle for All-Star supremacy.

On Saturday, the Atlantic advanced to the final event of the Skills Competition after Shea Weber won the Hardest Shot challenge, giving his division the tiebreaker over the Metro. Here were the results after five events:

Pacific 6 | Atlantic 5* | Metro 5 | Central 2

Here's a rundown of each event:

Shootout

Winner: Atlantic Division

Only four of 20 shooters were able to find the back of the net in the shootout as the scoreboard reset for the final event between the Atlantic and Pacific divisions - and one of them was 6 years old.

Brad Marchand, Shea Weber, and Sidney Crosby - as a captain's selection from the Metro, his goal worth two points - scored for the Atlantic, giving the division four points, and Saturday's Skills Competition victory.

Ryker Kesler, Anaheim Ducks center Ryan's son, was the only member of the Pacific Division to beat an Atlantic goalie, going five-hole on Carey Price, who graciously allowed the youngster to score. Other than that, Price and Tuukka Rask were perfect.

Watch: Ryker Kesler goes 5-hole on Price

The shootout's results:

Atlantic Shooter Result (Points) Pacific Goalie
Brad Marchand Goal (1) Mike Smith
Nikita Kucherov Stopped Smith
Victor Hedman Stopped Smith
Shea Weber Goal (2) Smith
Frans Nielsen Stopped Smith
Erik Karlsson Stopped Martin Jones
Kyle Okposo Stopped Jones
Sidney Crosby Goal (4) Jones
Vincent Trochek Stopped Jones
Auston Matthews Stopped Jones 

Brent Burns had the move of the shootout, dropping the puck through his legs and firing upstairs, but he hit the post behind Rask.

Pacific Shooter Result (Points) Atlantic Goalie
Drew Doughty Stopped Carey Price
Joe Pavelski Stopped Price
Bo Horvat Stopped Price
Cam Fowler Stopped Price
Ryker Kesler Goal (1) Price
Connor McDavid Stopped Tuukka Rask
Johnny Gaudreau Stopped Rask
Patrick Kane Stopped Rask
Brent Burns Stopped Rask
Jeff Carter Stopped Rask

Hardest Shot

Winner: Shea Weber (102.8 mph)

Guess what? Shea Weber has the hardest shot among All-Stars, for the third year running. He hit 102.8 mph on the gun, besting Patrik Laine's 101.7. By getting the Atlantic two points, the division moved on to the final. The Hardest Shot competition was the tiebreaker, with both the Atlantic and Metro finishing with five points.

Watch: Weber blasts his way to another Hardest Shot crown

Results:

Central: Laine, 101.7 mph (1 point)
Pacific: Burns, 97.7 mph

Atlantic: Victor Hedman, 94.2 mph
Metro: Seth Jones, 98.1 mph (1 point)

Central: Nathan MacKinnon, 92.3 mph
Pacific: Drew Doughty, 94.6 mph (1 point)

Atlantic: Weber, 102.8 mph (2 points)
Metro: Alex Ovechkin, 97.8 MPH

Fastest Skater

Winner: Connor McDavid (13.02 seconds)

Hardly breaking news: Connor McDavid's the fastest All-Star. The Oilers phenom got the Pacific two points in the fastest skater event. The Atlantic won both of its heats to pick up two points, as well.

Watch: McDavid races around the sheet in 13.02 seconds

Results:

Atlantic: Nikita Kucherov, 13.16 seconds (1 point)
Metro: Cam Atkinson, 13.33 seconds

Atlantic: Trochek, 13.32 seconds (1 point)
Metro: Wayne Simmonds, 13.65 seconds

Central: Laine, 13.42 seconds (1 point)
Pacific: Bo Horvat, 13.43 seconds

Central: Nathan MacKinnon, 13.6 seconds
Pacific: McDavid, 13.02 seconds (2 points)

Accuracy Shooting

Winner: Sidney Crosby (10.73 seconds)

Chalk another one up for the Metropolitan - this Sidney Crosby guy is good. Crosby stole the show in the accuracy department, going 4-for-5 in an event-best 10.73 seconds. He earned a bonus point for being the fastest to get through four targets. The Pacific won its two heats, earning two points as well.

Results:

Atlantic: Kyle Okposo: 15.9 seconds (1 point)
Metro: John Tavares: 26.81

Pacific: McDavid: 15.64 (1 point)
Central: Laine: 21.82

Atlantic: Auston Matthews: 12.28
Metro: Crosby: 10.73 (2 points)

Watch: Crosby nearly perfect in accuracy shooting win

Pacific: Jeff Carter: 17.66 (1 point)
Central: Patrick Kane: 18.95

Four Line Challenge

Winner: Pacific Division (1 point)

With players shooting from the near blue, center, far blue, and far goal line, Burns stole the show for the Pacific in the new Four Line Challenge event:

To close out the event, Burns' Pacific teammate Mike Smith, the Coyotes' goaltender, fired one from his own goal line, and it took a fortunate bounce and went through the only opening in the net: five-hole.

Watch: Mike Smith salvages Four Line Challenge with 200-foot snipe

The Pacific won the event, earning the only point available.

Skills Relay

Winner: Metropolitan Division (2 points)

The Central Division and Pacific Division squared off to open the night, and it was the Central that came out flying. Doughty, representing the hometown Los Angeles Kings, struggled in the passing department.

Central time: 1:44.03 (1 point)
Pacific time: 2:03.12

The Metropolitan bested the Atlantic in the East showdown, thanks to a dominant performance by Crosby (of course), and put up the top time in the event. Hey, best division in hockey.

Watch: Crosby, Metro dominate skills relay

Atlantic time: 1:39.69
Metropolitan: 1:21.70 (2 points)

Give the Metro two points for the win and the fastest time, and the Central one point, in the first event of the night.

All-Star Rosters

Note: * indicates captain

Atlantic Division

Player (Position) Team
Nikita Kucherov (F) Lightning
Brad Marchand (F) Bruins
Auston Matthews (F) Maple Leafs
Frans Nielsen (F) Red Wings
Kyle Okposo (F) Sabres
Vincent Trocheck (F) Panthers
Victor Hedman (D) Lightning
Erik Karlsson (D) Senators
Shea Weber (D) Canadiens
Carey Price* (G) Canadiens
Tuukka Rask (G) Bruins

Metropolitan Division

Player (Position) Team
Cam Atkinson (F) Blue Jackets
Sidney Crosby* (F) Penguins
Taylor Hall (F) Devils
Alex Ovechkin (F) Capitals
Wayne Simmonds (F) Flyers
John Tavares (F) Islanders
Justin Faulk (D) Hurricanes
Seth Jones (D) Blue Jackets
Ryan McDonagh (D) Rangers
Sergei Bobrovsky (G) Blue Jackets
Braden Holtby (G) Capitals

Central Division

Player (Position) Team
Patrick Kane (F) Blackhawks
Patrik Laine (F) Jets
Nathan MacKinnon (F) Avalanche
Tyler Seguin (F) Stars
Vladimir Tarasenko (F) Blues
Jonathan Toews (F) Blackhawks
P.K. Subban* (D) Predators
Duncan Keith (D) Blackhawks
Ryan Suter (D) Wild
Corey Crawford (G) Blackhawks
Devan Dubnyk (G) Wild

Pacific Division

Player (Position) Team
Connor McDavid* (F) Oilers 
Jeff Carter (F) Kings
Johnny Gaudreau (F) Flames
Bo Horvat (F) Canucks
Ryan Kesler (F) Ducks
Joe Pavelski (F) Sharks
Brent Burns (D) Sharks
Drew Doughty (D) Kings
Cam Fowler (D) Ducks
Martin Jones (G) Sharks
Mike Smith (G) Coyotes

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Your guide to the NHL All-Star Skills Competition

NHL All-Star Skills Competition
Where:
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 7 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN (U.S.); CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Canada)

Hollywood, baby.

The NHL's best and brightest are in Los Angeles for the 62nd edition of the All-Star Game, and Saturday night they'll take to the ice for the traditional Skills Competition.

Related: 4 predictions for All-Star weekend

And it matters. The winning team will select its first opponent in Sunday's three-on-three All-Star tournament and whether its semifinal will be played first or second.

Team captains Carey Price (Atlantic Division), Sidney Crosby (Metropolitan), P.K. Subban (Central), and Connor McDavid (Pacific) have selected who will take part in each of the six events, and we break them down, list the participants - and list team rosters - below.

But before we do, a prediction: The Metro will win Saturday's Skills Competition (before it wins Sunday's All-Star three-on-three tournament). Between Crosby - participating in only his second All-Star weekend, somehow - Alex Ovechkin, Cam Atkinson (a more than deserving replacement for Evgeni Malkin), John Tavares, and Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby in goal, there's way too much talent for it to lose. It's the best division in hockey for a reason.

Skills Challenge Relay

Who doesn't love a good relay?

Seven skaters and a goalie from each team will compete in relays to kick off the competition, comprised of five challenges: one timers, passing, puck control, stick-handling, and goalie goals.

Upon the completion of a challenge, teams move on to the next one, and the squad that finishes first wins. One timers (30 seconds), passing (45 seconds), and goalie goals (30 seconds) have maximum allotted times.

The Central will face the Pacific in one heat, and the Atlantic will face the Metro in the other.

Points Available: 3

The team with the fastest time in each heat will be awarded one point, and a bonus point will be awarded to the team with the fastest time overall.

Participants

Atlantic vs. Metropolitan

  • One-timers: Erik Karlsson, Vincent Trochek, Kyle Okposo vs. Seth Jones, Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Simmonds (Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh will serve as passers)
  • Passing: Frans Nielsen vs. John Tavares
  • Puck Control: Brad Marchand vs. Justin Faulk
  • Stick Handling: Auston Matthews vs. Sidney Crosby
  • Goalie Goals: Carey Price vs. Brayden Holtby

Central vs. Pacific

  • One-timers: Duncan Keith, Ryan Suter, Vladimir Tarasenko vs. Joe Pavelski, Ryan Kesler, and Jeff Carter (Nathan Mackinnon and Bo Horvat will serve as passers)
  • Passing: Jonathan Toews vs. Drew Doughty
  • Puck Control: Tyler Seguin vs. Cam Fowler
  • Stick Handling: Patrick Kane vs. Johnny Gaudreau
  • Goalie Goals: Devan Dubnyk vs. Mike Smith

Four Line Challenge

This is a new event, and you can consider it Score-O on steroids.

Four players from each team will take part, each shooting twice. Shooter No. 1 will fire from the near blue line, shooter No. 2 from center red, shooter No. 3 from the far blue line, and shooter No. 4 from the far goal line. It's a lot harder than it sounds, though.

The first shooter, at the near blue line, has to put the puck in either the upper right or left corner of the net. Not easy. A goal equals one point.

From center, players will try to hit any of the four corners of the net. The lower corners are worth one point, the upper corners three.

From the far blue line, each corner of the net and the five-hole are available. The lower corners and five-hole are worth a point, the upper corners, five.

From the far goal line, shooters have only the five-hole to work with, and each goal is worth 10 points. Goalies can take part from back here, and should a 'tender score, that goal's worth 20 points.

One more thing: The first player to score twice from the far goal line wins a 2017 Honda CRV.

Points Available: 1 (Team with the most accumulated points in the event gets a point)

Participants

Each division will send one shooter per round; order listed as Atlantic, Metro, Central, Pacific.

  • Shooter 1: Nikita Kucherov, Ryan McDonagh, Ryan Suter, Joe Pavelski
  • Shooter 2: Erik Karlsson, Wayne Simmonds, Tyler Seguin, Brent Burns
  • Shooter 3: Vincent Trocheck, Taylor Hall, P.K. Subban, Ryan Kesler
  • Shooter 4: Shea Weber, Seth Jones, Nathan MacKinnon, Bo Horvat

Accuracy Shooting

You know how this one works: hit the 15-inch diameter targets in the corners of the net.

Here are the details:

  • Two shooters and two passers from each team, four head-to-head matchups, one shooter per round
  • Fastest player to hit all four targets wins
  • The Atlantic will face the Metro twice, and the Pacific the Central twice
  • The team that wins each matchup gets a point
  • The player who hits all four targets in the fastest time earns his team a bonus point
  • The player who beats Daniel Sedin's 7.3 seconds record earns his team a bonus point
  • Last year, the Metro's Tavares was the fastest, nailing all four targets in 12.2 seconds

Happy shooting.

Points Available: 6

Participants

Atlantic vs. Metro

  • Okposo vs. Tavares
  • Matthews vs. Crosby

Central vs. Pacific

  • Patrik Laine vs. McDavid
  • Kane vs. Carter

Fastest Skater

This one's simple: Who can get around the sheet the fastest.

Two skaters from each team, four matchups (Atlantic vs. Metro twice, Central vs. Pacific twice), each matchup worth one point. In the event of a tie, both teams will be awarded a point.

The fastest skater on the day will earn his team a bonus point, and will then attempt to break Dylan Larkin's record of 13.172 seconds, set last year. Should that happen, another bonus point will be awarded to the player's team.

Points Available: 6

Participants

Atlantic vs. Metro

  • Marchand vs. Cam Atkinson
  • Kucherov vs. Simmonds

Central vs. Pacific

  • Tarasenko vs. Horvat
  • MacKinnon vs. McDavid

Hardest Shot

Congratulations in advance, Shea Weber.

Now representing the Atlantic Division and the Montreal Canadiens, Weber's the dude to beat. He won it last year with a 108.1 mile-per-hour rocket.

Here's the skinny:

  • Two shooters from each team will go head to head
  • The puck will be 30 feet from the net
  • Four matchups again: Atlantic vs. Metro twice, Central vs. Pacific twice
  • Winner of each matchup earns his team a point
  • A bonus point will be awarded to the team with the player who wins the competition (so, the Atlantic)
  • A bonus point will also be awarded if Zdeno Chara's 108.8 mph record falls

Points Available: 6

Participants

Atlantic vs. Metro

  • Hedman vs. Jones
  • Weber vs. Ovechkin

Central vs. Pacific

  • Laine vs. Burns
  • Subban vs. Doughty

Shootout

The skills competition will end with everyone's favorite skills competition - the shootout.

Here's the deal:

  • Each conference's highest-scoring team in the competition will take part in this challenge
  • Nine skaters and two goalies will participate, with a 10th skater as a captain's selection coming from the teams not taking part
  • The scoreboard resets to zero, each goal counts as a point, and each goal scored by the captain's selection will count as two points
  • Goalies switch after five shooters
  • NHL shootout rules apply
  • In the event of a tie after 10 shooters, it's sudden death, and captains will choose their shooters, with no restrictions on multiple attempts by the same player

Enjoy.

All-Star Rosters

Note: * indicates captain

Atlantic Division

Player (Position) Team
Nikita Kucherov (F) Lightning
Brad Marchand (F) Bruins
Auston Matthews (F) Maple Leafs
Frans Nielsen (F) Red Wings
Kyle Okposo (F) Sabres
Vincent Trocheck (F) Panthers
Victor Hedman (D) Lightning
Erik Karlsson (D) Senators
Shea Weber (D) Canadiens
Carey Price* (G) Canadiens
Tuukka Rask (G) Bruins

Metropolitan Division

Player (Position) Team
Cam Atkinson (F) Blue Jackets
Sidney Crosby* (F) Penguins
Taylor Hall (F) Devils
Alex Ovechkin (F) Capitals
Wayne Simmonds (F) Flyers
John Tavares (F) Islanders
Justin Faulk (D) Hurricanes
Seth Jones (D) Blue Jackets
Ryan McDonagh (D) Rangers
Sergei Bobrovsky (G) Blue Jackets
Braden Holtby (G) Capitals

Central Division

Player (Position) Team
Patrick Kane (F) Blackhawks
Patrik Laine (F) Jets
Nathan MacKinnon (F) Avalanche
Tyler Seguin (F) Stars
Vladimir Tarasenko (F) Blues
Jonathan Toews (F) Blackhawks
P.K. Subban* (D) Predators
Duncan Keith (D) Blackhawks
Ryan Suter (D) Wild
Corey Crawford (G) Blackhawks
Devan Dubnyk (G) Wild

Pacific Division

Player (Position) Team
Connor McDavid* (F) Oilers 
Jeff Carter (F) Kings
Johnny Gaudreau (F) Flames
Bo Horvat (F) Canucks
Ryan Kesler (F) Ducks
Joe Pavelski (F) Sharks
Brent Burns (D) Sharks
Drew Doughty (D) Kings
Cam Fowler (D) Ducks
Martin Jones (G) Sharks
Mike Smith (G) Coyotes

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NHL at 100: The top 10 players of all time

Full disclosure: This was very difficult. Damn near impossible.

With the NHL set to reveal its full list of the 100 Greatest Players at the All-Star break, in celebration of its centennial season, we took a crack at our own top 10.

Related: The top 50 players in the post-lockout era

So many incredible talents have played in the NHL over the years. Here are the best of the best:

10. Patrick Roy

Going with Roy over Martin Brodeur was the first of many very difficult decisions, but here's why Roy gets the edge: He was a Stanley Cup winner in different eras, with two teams, and won three Conn Smythe trophies to Brodeur's zero.

Brodeur deserves all the praise in the world. His 691 regular-season wins will never be matched, he's first all time with 125 shutouts, and bests Roy in save percentage .912 to .910.

But Roy won Cups in 1986, 1993, 1996, and 2001. Three decades. Two of them in hockey-mad Montreal, one as a rookie, and while it's unfair to credit all of Brodeur's success to the systems employed by the New Jersey Devils, there's no denying their impact on Brodeur's success.

Hell, let's call it a tie, how about that?

9. Alex Ovechkin

"The Great Eight" comes in at No. 9, because there hasn't been a sniper like him since Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux.

Among players with at least 500 regular-season games to their name, only Bossy, Lemieux, and Pavel Bure averaged more than Ovie's 0.617 goals per game. And Ovechkin's done all his damage when goalies have never been better in the history of the league.

Ovechkin's 1.139 points per game ranks 17th all time, but he's on this list because of the era his body of work falls in. And he ain't done yet.

8. Mark Messier

It's crazy for Gordie Howe not to be on this list. He's Mr. Friggin' Hockey - his career spanned five decades, his final season at age 51. But, like we said, difficult decisions had to be made, and Mark Messier's inclusion - and Howe's exclusion - was one of them.

But Messier, a key member of the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty, won six Stanley Cups - two without Wayne Gretzky. In fact, it's Messier's postseason exploits that land him on this list. Only Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were better in the playoffs.

Player Playoffs P/PG GP
Gretzky 1.837 208
Lemieux 1.607 107
Messier 1.250 236

Just three players played for the Cup more than Messier: Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Roy. "Moose" was the ultimate leader, and it's impossible to forget his reaction as he waited for the Stanley Cup in 1994 as the New York Rangers' drought ended after 54 years.

There's never been a happier person than Stanley Cup winner Messier.

7. Jaromir Jagr

Longevity counts for something - for a lot, actually - and that's why Jagr is on this list, and he's representing Howe while he's at it.

Jagr, turning 45 on Feb. 15, ranks third all time in goals with 758, and should he play a couple more seasons - he talks about going until he's 50 - he'll pass Howe (801) and finish second to only Gretzky's 894. Had No. 68 not left North America in 2008 to play in Russia for three seasons, he'd be chasing Gretzky, not Howe.

There's more: His 134 game-winning goals rank first all time, his 1,139 assists fifth, and after recently passing Messier, only Gretzky has more points than Jagr's 1,887. He did some of his best work in the dead puck era, and is still going, leading his team in scoring last season (!), at a time when players are faster, bigger, stronger, and train harder than ever.

While Jagr's 1.130 points per game rank 20th all time, there's no denying his name deserves to sit amongst the top 10 greatest to ever lace them up.

6. Dominik Hasek

Dominik Hasek was before his time. He changed goaltending - period.

Season NHL AVG SV% Hasek SV%
1993-94 .895 .930
1994-95 .901 .930
1995-96 .898 .920
1996-97 .905 .930
1997-98 .906 .932
1998-99 .908 .937

Hasek has the highest save percentage in history among goalies who have played at least 700 regular-season games: .922. His 81 shutouts rank sixth all time.

"The Dominator" did it in the playoffs, too. His .925 postseason save percentage is highest all time among goalies who played at least 100 games in the spring, better than Ed Belfour (.920), Brodeur (.919), and Roy (.918).

5. Mike Bossy

No player in NHL history scored goals at Bossy's 0.762 clip. Only Lemieux (0.754) comes close.

Bossy's 1.497 points per game rank third to only Gretzky and Lemieux. He may have only played 752 games, but they were something.

In fact, in only one of Bossy's 10 seasons did he not hit the 50-goal mark. He scored 38 in 63 games in 1986-87, his final campaign at only 30 years old. He scored 60 or more five times.

Part of the New York Islanders' dynasty, Bossy certainly did his part. In winning four Stanley Cups in a row from 1980 through 1983, Bossy scored a ridiculous 61 goals in 72 games.

4. Sidney Crosby

You better believe it.

Crosby's 1.326 points per game ranks fifth all time. And he's done it in an era when goalies actually stop the puck. With 749 regular-season games to his name, the sample's big enough. "The Kid" has lived up to the hype.

No. 87 has won everything there is to win in hockey, and his 1.105 points per game in the playoffs ranks 12th in history.

3. Bobby Orr

Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden said it best in his book "The Game" about Bobby Orr:

Then there was Orr ...

He was the rare player who changed the perceptions of his sport. Until Orr, defensemen had been defenders, usually stocky and slow-footed, their offensive game complete when the puck had cleared the defensive zone.

Even so-called "rushing defensemen" in pre-Orr times ... rarely went much beyond the center line, moving up only as a forward moved back, dropping out of the play as soon as they made their first pass. It was Orr who broke down the barriers separating offense and defense.

Lining up as a defenseman, when the puck dropped, he became a "player," his game in instant and constant transition, until with no real transition at all, neither defenseman nor forward, both defender and attacker, he attacked to score and keep from being scored against; he defended to prevent goals and create chances to score. It was what soccer commentators would call a "total" game, what we knew as hockey of the future, and it became the model for all defensemen to follow.

Knee injuries limited Orr to only 657 regular-season games - practically a crime. But he won two Stanley Cups, and his 1.393 points per game ranks fourth all time. He's one of only two defensemen (Paul Coffey's the other) in the top 50 with respect to that statistic.

Orr literally changed his position. There's no denying his place in history.

2. Mario Lemieux

Only one player averaged more points per game in his career than "Super Mario" - that Gretzky dude.

No. 66 and No. 99 stand alone. They're the only two players in NHL history, spanning now a century, to average more than 1.50 points per game in the regular season and the playoffs.

Lemieux Statistic Gretzky
1.883 P/GP 1.921
0.754 G/GP 0.601
1.129 A/GP 1.320
915 GP 1487
690 G 894
1033 A 1963
1723 P 2857

Injuries and a cancer diagnosis cut Lemieux's career far too short. Between 1989 and 1994, Lemieux played only 231 of a possible 408 regular-season games. Remarkably enough, he scored 496 points over that span, winning the Art Ross Trophy in 1992-93 with 160 points in only 60 games after returning to the ice from cancer treatment.

1. Wayne Gretzky

Gretzky's numbers speak for themselves.

It's often said in sports about a player: "There will never be another." It's usually hyperbole. In Gretzky's case, it's not.

A four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Oilers, Gretzky averaged 2.40 points per game in nine seasons in Edmonton. Sure, the game was different back then, and you have to watch video to believe goalies were actually in the crease, but in a five-season span from 1981-86, Gretzky scored 200 or more points four times. He finished with career bests in 1985-86: 215 points and 163 assists.

There's a reason why 99 is the only number retired NHL-wide.

Notable Omissions

  • Marcel Dionne belongs on this list, his 1.314 points per game average ranking sixth all time. He scored 50 or more six times, his 0.542 goals per game coming in at 11th among those who played at least 700 games.
  • We're seriously very sorry, Mr. Brodeur.
  • Only one defenseman on the list, and he produced like a forward. That'll upset some folks. Ray Bourque and Coffey definitely deserve some more love, that's for sure.
  • Peter Stastny, Phil Esposito, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Guy Lafleur, Peter Forsberg. The list goes on and on and on.

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Miller calls United Center sheet ‘the worst ice I’ve seen in my career’

Ryan Miller: Not happy.

After the Vancouver Canucks battled back from a 2-0 deficit six minutes into the third period, scoring twice in 46 seconds, they were burned late by Jonathan Toews, who pounced on a puck that came off the boards and beat Miller to give Chicago the lead, and, eventually, a 4-2 win.

After the game, Miller put the United Center on blast:

Miller played well, stopping 31-of-34 shots. He really wanted at least a point.

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Laviolette wins No. 500 as surging Predators wrap impressive road trip

Not many teams go into Minnesota and beat the Wild. Add the Nashville Predators to the list.

The Preds erased a 2-0 deficit Sunday, eventually winning 4-2, as Filip Forsberg scored his fourth game-winning goal in six games.

The Swede is as hot as his team, which is playing the best hockey of its season, winners of six of seven. And Sunday's victory gave head coach Peter Laviolette the 500th victory of his career. He's the 25th head coach in history to reach the milestone.

It'll be a joyous return for the team to Nashville, on its way home after a stellar road trip through Denver, Western Canada, and Minnesota:

Date Result Opponent
Jan. 10 W 2-1 vs. Canucks
Jan. 12 W 2-1 vs. Bruins
Jan. 14 W 3-2 @ Avalanche
Jan. 17 L 1-0 @ Canucks
Jan. 19 W 4-3 @ Flames
Jan. 20 W 3-2 (SO) @ Oilers
Jan. 22 W 4-2 @ Wild 

The Preds are now ahead of St. Louis by two points, and third in the Central Division. They've made up ground as goaltending has derailed the Blues' season.

It's the opposite in Nashville. The Predators have allowed only 12 goals in their past seven games, winning five tight one-goal decisions.

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Bruins’ offense goes extra cold at the wrong time for Julien

The Boston Bruins haven't been scoring all season. But they've been even more inept of late, and that has to be driving head coach Claude Julien crazy, as rumors of the precarious state of his employment swirl.

Boston dropped its fourth game in a row Sunday, a 5-1 decision in which the Bruins out shot the Pittsburgh Penguins 45-36.

Matt Murray shut the door.

The Bruins have a 75 to 58 advantage on the shot clock over their past two games, and have only one goal to show for it in back-to-back losses. Boston was shut out 1-0 by Chicago on Friday.

Julien's squad went into Sunday's game averaging 2.4 goals per game, ranking 24th in the league, but save for a couple of outbursts over their past six contests, five of which the Bruins have lost, they're having even more trouble than usual scoring.

Date Result Shots For SH% Opponent
Jan. 12 L 2-1 36 2.77% Predators
Jan. 14 W 6-3 39 15.4% Flyers
Jan. 16 L 4-0 32 0% Islanders
Jan. 18 L 6-5 (SO) 33 15.1% Red Wings
Jan. 20 L 1-0 30 0% Blackhawks
Jan. 22 L 5-1 45 2.22% Penguins

Math is hard, but that's only 13 goals in six games, 11 in two of them, the games in which the Bruins got at least a point. Boston has two goals in its last four regulation losses.

It's bad.

But you can't say Julien's guys aren't trying. The Bruins have out shot their opponents in each of their last six games, averaging 35.8 shots per game; the puck simply isn't going in the net.

Boston's played the most games of any team in the league so far, 50, and sit 23-21-6. The club's in playoff position as the third seed in the Atlantic Division, but the Toronto Maple Leafs - one point back - have a whopping six games in hand.

Detroit, four points behind, has three games in hand, and the Red Wings will be in Boston to face the Bruins on Tuesday, in yet another big game for the black and gold.

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Add Guy Boucher to the list of people who hate the shootout

The list keeps getting longer.

The Ottawa Senators earned a rather large come-from-behind victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, scoring with 71 seconds to tie the game before winning it in a shootout, 3-2, and Guy Boucher certainly enjoyed the 65 minutes of action.

But that's it.

"I think It's a team game and it should be decided with team play, but I understand that the game has got to end," Boucher said. "I don't know, I got into a habit of not looking, it makes no difference that I look or not, so I let the guys do their thing.

"I used to get involved, and talk to the guys, and you can do this and that, and I just stay out of the way now."

Asked again if he truly doesn't watch any of the attempts, Boucher was straight and to the point.

"Never. Nope."

He relies on the sounds from his bench, and the crowd, to let him know what happened.

With the win Saturday, Ottawa improved to 4-1 in shootouts. So Boucher's probably going to want to continue not watching, while also sending the right guys over the bench. It's working.

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Another topsy-turvy night for goalies across the NHL

NHL goaltenders have had themselves a week.

Pucks have been going in like we're back in the 1980s, and Saturday saw multiple goalies get yanked, some leave due to injury, and a couple make saves that can only be described as "bananas." Here's a rundown on an eventful Saturday night for the keepers, with the bad news first:

  • In Calgary, Chad Johnson played only 5:58 for the Flames in another installment of the Battle of Alberta. He left down 3-0, stopping only one of the four shots he faced. Yikes.
  • More trouble for the last-place Tampa Bay Lightning, after Ben Bishop was pulled after 40 minutes in Arizona. The Coyotes roughed him up, scoring five times on only 17 shots.
  • In Philly, Michal Neuvirth was pulled after two periods with an undisclosed injury for precautionary reasons. The Flyers lost again, 4-1, coming out of their bye week with a dud.
  • In Anaheim, Ducks starter John Gibson was forced from the game after 14 minutes of play in the first period with an upper-body injury. Jonathan Bernier came in and allowed four goals on 16 shots as the Ducks blew a third-period lead and lost to Minnesota.
  • The Blues' Pheonix Copley got things started Saturday afternoon, allowing five goals on 29 shots in an emergency spot start for St. Louis.

Wait ...

It wasn't all bad. Really.

  • Mike Condon shined for the Ottawa Senators in a come-from-behind win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He stopped 31 of 33 shots and two of three in the shootout.
  • Robin Lehner and Carey Price made 36 and 35 saves respectively in Buffalo's 3-2 win over Montreal, and both goalies made incredible glove saves in overtime. Here's Lehner's, and here's Price's.
  • Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves in Columbus' 3-2 win over Carolina. Bob has 28 wins before the All-Star break, and his career high in a season is 32.
  • Jean-Francois Berube earned his first win of the season, coming up big for Doug Weight's New York Islanders in a 4-2 win over a strong Los Angeles Kings team. Berube went into the game with a .904 save percentage, and stopped 34 of 36 shots.

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Blues have allowed 5 or more in last 5 losses, including 3 straight

Different goalie, same result for the St. Louis Blues.

With Jake Allen watching on television back in St. Louis, Pheonix Copley got the start in goal Saturday in Winnipeg, and the Jets had their way with him, scoring five goals on 29 shots in a 5-3 win.

It's St. Louis' third straight loss, and the Blues have been shelled in five of their past seven games:

Date Result Goalie Opponent
Jan. 10 L 5-3 Allen/Carter Hutton Bruins
Jan. 12 L 5-1 Allen/Hutton Kings
Jan. 17 L 6-4 Hutton Senators
Jan. 19 L 7-3 Allen/Hutton Capitals
Jan. 21 L 5-3 Copley Jets

St. Louis won two games in between losses two and three above, both won by Carter Hutton. Allen last won a game on Jan. 2, outdoors at Busch Stadium.

The Blues outshot the Jets 37-29 on Saturday, and you know it's bad when you're looking down at the other end and wishing you had Ondrej Pavelec on your team.

Despite the rough go for Copley, Ken Hitchcock wasn't blaming him after Saturday's loss.

"He played good," Hitchcock said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford. "No issues there, he played real well. Really happy with him."

This one's on the entire team.

"Quite frankly, we're allowing too many goals against, too many scoring chances," Hitchcock - who clearly has his finger on the pulse - added.

St. Louis now has a minus-13 goal differential, and while it holds a wild-card playoff spot, it's a tenuous grasp, at best. The Blues need to figure their goaltending issues out before it costs them their season.

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King Henrik putting up peasant-like numbers in 2017

Henrik Lundqvist has to be the only person who misses 2016.

The new year hasn't been kind to the New York Rangers goaltender, and "The King" was rocked again Tuesday, this time by the Dallas Stars. Lundqvist was pulled after 40 minutes, with only 20 saves to show for the 27 shots he faced.

It was the fifth time in six games since the calendar turned that Lundqvist allowed four or more goals. Witness:

Date Opponent SA GA SV%
1/17 Stars 27 7 .741
1/14 Canadiens 22 5 .773
1/13 Maple Leafs 27 4 .852
1/7 Blue Jackets 37 4 .892
1/4 Flyers 32 2 .938
1/3 Sabres 19 4 .789

Save for his win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 4, those are very un-Lundqvist-like numbers. In fact, the usually stellar 'tender now sports an .841 save percentage in January.

Lundqvist went into action Tuesday with a .907 save percentage on the season. That's notable because it was 2009 when No. 30 last finished with a save percentage below .920.

Could age - Lundqvist will be 35 on March 2 - be finally catching up to one of the best (and one of the most handsome) goaltenders to ever play the game?

It ain't easy being royalty.

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