clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

2018 NHL All-Star Skills Competition: Discussion and Live Results

Commentary and results from this year’s skills competition

By Justin Lape
NHL: All Star Game-Skills Competition Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

2020 NHL All-Star Tournament

Saturday, January 26, 2020 - 8:00 p.m. ET
Enterprise Center - St. Louis, MO

TV: NBC, CBC, Sportsnet
Stream: NBC Sports Live and NBC Sports app

Follow Canes Country on Social Media

Twitter @CanesCountry
Facebook Canes Country
Instagram @canescountrypix

It’s here. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. The 2018 NHL All-Star Skills Competition. Are you ready for one of the wildest Saturday nights of your life?

This event kicks off NHL All Star Weekend in Tampa, Florida. There will be six events:

  • Fastest Skater
  • Passing Challenge
  • Save Streak
  • Puck Control Relay
  • Accuracy Shooting
  • Hardest Shot

The Carolina Hurricanes’ own Noah Hanifin will be participating in the Fastest Skater competition and will also be facing off against Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the Save Streak competition.

For a look at how this year’s tournament and skills competition will be played, check out Brian LeBlanc’s (no relation to Kevin Labanc) (ed. note: dammit justin) preview post from yesterday.

Here’s a look at who is competing tonight:

Hardest Shot:

Fastest Skater:

Accuracy Shooting:

Passing Challenge:

Puck Control Relay

Save Streak:

  • Connor Hellebuyck will face off against the Pacific Division
  • Henrik Lundqvist vs. Central Division
  • Marc-Andre Fleury vs. Atlantic Division
  • Pekka Rinne vs. Metropolitan Division
  • Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Central Division

Come back later for live commentary!

6:48 p.m.

It’s time, ladies and gentleman. Welcome to live commentary of the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. The competition begins at 7:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Network but....

7:04 p.m.

Early notes from the beginning of the broadcast:

  • Pirates obviously the theme
  • Only Sidney Crosby’s 3rd All-Star appearance...what a bust, amirite?
  • Former Carolina Hurricane Brian Boucher has been spotted

7:22 p.m.

A quick story about the All-Star Skills Competition. When the All-Star Weekend came to Raleigh, I turned down FREE tickets to go to the Skills Competition. Was it a mistake? Did I do the right thing?

That weekend I also printed out a picture from Google of Steven Stamkos and got him to sign it.

7:30 p.m.

Flo Rida has just hit the stage. Ovechkin comes out on to the ice holding up his phone, assuming to be posting an Instagram story. Lineups are being announced. Patrick Kane was just about the only player booed so far.

7:47 p.m.

The Fastest Skater competition has begun. Brayden Point has WHEELS.

Now, NOAH HANIFIN is up. His magical flow billowing in the wind. He finishes with 14.317 seconds. Maybe not what he wanted.

McDavid up and he takes the lead and wins the competition at 13.454 seconds! He also won last year’s competition.

8:01 p.m.

The Pass Challenge has begun. Has to be my least favorite of the competition. Hometown boy (kinda) Nikita Kucherov struggles big time on his turn.

Brayden Schenn takes the lead with an impressive showing.

Here’s that magical flow courtesy of our own Jamie Kellner:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson beats Schenn’s time with some straight sauce.

Eric Staal starts next and I bet he was passing to Sebastian Aho. Or Teuvo Teravainen. Staal takes the lead now with deadly accuracy. Just like the good old days when he was passing to Andreas Nodl and Chad Larose.

Just kidding. Staal’s lead ends quickly as Alex Pietrangelo takes the lead with a time of 46.61 seconds. Drew Doughty can not hit his last lit target and Pietrangelo takes home the title.

8:24 p.m.

The Save Streak is up. Henrik Lundqvist is the goalie for the Metropolitan Division and will face the shooters of the Central Division. He starts with five straight saves but then Nathan MacKinnon with the SAUCE to beat Lundqvist blocker side.

Noah FREAKING Hanifin starts for the Metropolitan Division against Pekka Rinne and makes some nice moves but is stopped. At least he still has nice hair. The first nine shooters can’t find the back of the net. Noah Hanifin comes up again and is stopped by Rinne. Rinne makes 13 saves and is FINALLY beat by Claude Grioux on a slap shot that broke his stick.

Marc-Andre Fleury builds momentum and TAKES THE LEAD. Nikita Kucherov finally beats Fleury on the 15th shot. I just saw Sidney Crosby smile. The end of the world must be coming.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is up next and he can’t build any momentum. Eric Staal misses in a shootout. Who could have guessed that?

8:54 p.m.

Next up is the Puck Control Relay. Johnny Gaudreau dominates the competition. Everyone else struggled. That’s about it.

9:14 p.m.

The Hardest Shot competition is here. With no Shea Weber or Zdeno Chara, this just feels weird.

Ovechkin takes the early lead at 98.8 MPH. Subban HITS 98.7!!! So close!!! Ovechkin goes up again 101.3 MPH! Now just imagine that on the power play.

9:27 p.m.

Accuracy shooting is up next. Early money is on Crosby.

Brian Boyle with the snipes. 11.626 is the number to beat so far. Blake Wheeler struggles and James Neal starts well, but struggles with the last target.

The rookie Brock Boeser takes the lead! 11.136!

Ice crew takes forever to fix one of the targets. Like awhile. Crosby doesn’t get much momentum. And Brock Boeser wins the ‘ship!

That is all from Tampa for the All-Star Skills Competition. This is Justin Lape signing off.

And remember: