Giroux shines ahead of trade deadline
If any hockey executive is somehow still uncertain whether Claude Giroux can deliver on the biggest stages, the Philadelphia captain’s MVP performance in the NHL All-Star Game demonstrated his skills under pressureone more time.
Giroux scored three goals and the Metropolitan Division beat the Central Division, 5-3, Saturday in the final 3-on-3 match to win the NHL All-StarGame in Las Vegas.
Giroux excelled under the bright lights as he nears a critical moment in his career: It’s well-known around the NHL that the 34-year-old star could be on the move before next month’s trade deadline after spending his entire careerwith the Flyers.
The seven-time All-Star won his first MVP award withtwo goals in the final and another in the semifinal. Giroux also picked up the $1 million check shared among the winning players as the captain of the Metropolitan squad — a job he got at late notice in place of Alex Ovechkin, who tested positive for COVID-19earlier in the week.
New Jersey’s Jack Hughes, at 20 the youngest All-Star, also scored three goals for the Metropolitan team in the All-Star extravaganza’s first trip to Las Vegas, which has become a major stage for hockey’s top league since the expansion Vegas Golden Knights entered in 2017.
Carolina’s Frederik Andersen was the standout goalie, allowing just three goals and picking up an assist.
Boo this man
Washington first-time AllStar Tom Wilson scored for the Metropolitan team on the game’s first shot just 13 secondsafter the opening faceoff, thoroughly annoying the Vegas crowd. Sin City has booed Wilson at every opportunity since his late hit on Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault in the 2018 Stanley Cup final eventually won by the Capitals on the T-Mobile Arenaice.
Wilson’s goal was the second-fastest to begin an AllStar Game under any format, topped only by Rick Nash’s 12-secondgoal in 2009.
“I actually like it,” Wilson said. “I think it’s all in good fun. We have great memories inthis rink.”
Jack’s week
Jack Hughes got his third goal on a breakaway in the firstperiod of the final. His development into a point-agame scorer in his third NHL season has been one of the winter’s few bright spots for thelast-place Devils.
“The first game was pretty sleepy, so it’s good we got that one,” Hughes said. “By the second game, guys were dialedin and working hard.”
Vegas baby
The whole weekend had a distinct Vegas flavor. Club favorite Zedd was the DJ for player introductions while skaters dressed as Elvis and Frank Sinatra traversed the rink. Machine Gun Kelly also performed on the ice before thefinal.