2011 NHL All-Star Game Recap

The much anticipated NHL All Star Game has come and passed earning generally positive reviews.

The game began with an awkward opening ceremony featuring baby Lemieux, baby Gretzky, and two other babies on the ice throwing sticks to pick teams.

"Woah! Rod Brind'amour!"

"No way Ron Francis!"

Classic lines.

Make the jump...




All the players take the ice. Team Lidstrom sporting the blue jerseys are introduced first followed by Team Staal in red.

The Canadian Tenors sings the Canadian National Anthem. Solid.

Clay Aiken sings the American National Anthem. Yeesh.

First Period:

Starting goaltenders are Marc-Andre Fleury for Lidstrom and Cam Ward for Staal.
Ward had a microphone for the first period. Hilarious.

-50 seconds in Ovechkin throws one on net. Keith redirects it in. Ovechkin scores a bitch goal. 1-0 Staal
-Stastny gains the zone, passes to Sharp who promply gives it back to Stastny. Give and go dangle snip.
2-0 Staal
-Elias gets a one timer from behind the net.
3-0 Team Staal.
-Claude Giroux gets a nice pass for a semi-breakaway. Giroux one handed chips it over Fleury's pads.
4-0 Staal
-Kopitar comes down the wing and gets by the D. Goes forehand, backhand and absolutely roofs it. Lidstrom's comeback begins.
4-1 Staal.
-Kane drives to the net and throws it cross crease to Byfuglien who buries it.
4-2 Staal.
-Letang turns it over in the circle. Toews throws a pass across to Eriksson who one-times it in. 4-3 Staal.
-Someone breaks Duchene with an amazing pass. Duchene fakes a shot high then puts it there anyways.
4-4 Tie game.

------

-3 Doors Down plays during intermission. Can't say if they were good or not, I left the room.

------
Second Period:

Goalies shift to Carey Price in net for Staal and Jonas Hiller for Lidstrom.
I can't stand how seriously Price takes himself.

-Sharp one-times one home. Team Staal regains the lead.
5-4 Staal.
-Letang gets it in the high slot and snipes it off of two posts and in. Personal favorite goal of the night.

6-4 Staal. Just a deadly sniper.

-Eriksson and Kopitar get a 2 on 0. They pass back and forth 12 times and Kopitar buries it.
6-5 Staal.
-Stamkos gets a pass from behind the net right at the doorstep. Roofs it.
Tie game again 6-6.
-Briere comes in on the net and puts in off the far corner giving Lidstrom their first lead of the night.
7-6 Lidstrom
------

-The NHL Guardians are unveiled and they play a really cool short. But then the Hurricane saves the day which is lame as hell. Whatever.

------
Third Period:

Goalies change to Tim Thomas for Lidstrom and Henrik Lunqvist for Staal.

Fun Fact: Henrik Lundqvist doesn't own an ugly suit.

-Eric Staal gets a breakaway and goes 5-hole to tie it up. Crowd explodes.
7-7 Tie.
-Duchene gets a breakaway but Ovechkin uses his stick as a javelin to try to end his chance.

Looks about right.

Lundqvist stones him without without breaking a sweat.
Still 7-7. Ovechkin is a dildo. Whatever.
-Letang gets a pass from behind the net in the slot and 5-holes Thomas for his second.
8-7 Staal.
-Briere scores again to tie it up. Ties game again. Solid short player. Beautiful snipe.
8-8 Tie
-Toews gets a pass, makes a spin move and a half, and 5-holes Lundqvist. Unreal goal.
9-8 Lidstrom.
-St. Louis drives to the net, backhands one that barely trickles over Lundqvist.
10-8 Lidstrom.
-Nash gets a pass streaking in right at the doorstep. Toe drags and roofs it.
10-9 Lidstrom.
-Eriksson gets his second on an empty net goal.
11-9 Lidstrom.
-Eric Staal makes things interesting. He gets his second goal with a shot in the slot that goes 5-hole.
11-10 Lidstrom.

-Time expires. Team Lidstrom wins 11-10.

------
Notes:
-Patrick Sharp wins MVP and a car. He's giving it to his father or brother.
-Eriksson, and Letang were also deserving of the MVP.
-From what I could take from it, Jeff Skinner had an early curfew and couldn't borrow his parents car to get to the game. Shame.
-Carey Price is the least fun person ever.
-Carolina fans really showed up. Impressive performance by the fans.

Point Leaders:
4: Loui Eriksson (2G 2A). Shea Weber (4A).
3: Patrick Sharp (1G 2A). Claude Giroux (1G 2A). Jonathan Toews (1G 2A) Martin Havlat (3A).
Honorable Mention: Daniel Briere (2G). Anze Kopitar (2G). Kris Letang (2G). Eric Staal (2G).

Game Highs:
Goals: 2 (Eriksson, Briere, Kopitar, Letang, E. Staal)
Assists: 4 (Shea Weber)
Plus/Minus: +7 (Nick Lidstrom)
Shots: 8 (Eric Staal)