LAS VEGAS — While the All-Star Game has no impact on the standings, Flyers and Metropolitan Division captain Claude Giroux brought the intensity and the scoring skills he’s displayed all season long.
Giroux scored twice in the final of the Metropolitan Division’s 5-3 victory over the Central Division and once in the semifinal against the Pacific Division on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena. His efforts earned him the tournament’s most valuable player, as he finished the day with three goals and one assist.
“We had a blast today,” Giroux said. “Everybody was having a good time. Started with the coach and just guys were yelling to play defense and win battles, block shots. We just had fun today.”
The 15-year Flyers veteran had a couple additional scoring chances that were ultimately nullified by the Central Division. A two-on-one late in the first period developed between Giroux and Penguins forward Jake Guentzel. However, Guentzel’s slap shot was denied by Wild goalie Cam Talbot.
After the Central Division pulled Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros with less than two minutes remaining in the second period, they poured on the offensive pressure. However, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stood tall and held the Central Division scoreless. Together, Jarry and Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen limited the Central Division to just three goals on 24 shots.
“I was actually very surprised about how hard these guys, they played the game,” Metropolitan Division head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I’ve been in one of these, I get it. And they played hard. It was actually really funny to sit back and watch them, the talk, the banter, how they were pushing each other.”
Going the extra mile
Even in the three-on-three, offense-powered format, Giroux’s defense helped his team in the final. In the first period with the game tied at 1, Giroux won a battle along the boards for the puck against Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov. Giroux tipped the puck ahead for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who moved the puck through the neutral zone on the attack.
Werenski held the puck with patience, waiting for his teammates to arrive in the offensive zone. Giroux crashed the net, and Werenski put a pass right on his tape for a shot past Talbot to put the Metropolitan Division up, 2-1.
“It’s always tough playing against him,” Werenski said of Giroux. “So to play with him in this event and see some of his skills, it’s been fun.”
Giroux finished the final with two goals, while Chris Kreider, Jack Hughes and Evgeny Kuznetsov had one each for the Metropolitan. Clayton Keller, Joe Pavelski and Nazem Kadri all scored one for the Central Division.
The Keystone connection
While the Metropolitan’s first line kicked off the semifinal game against the Pacific Division with a goal 13 seconds in, it was Giroux and the second line who carried the team. Despite the intense rivalry between their teams, Giroux and Pittsburgh’s Guentzel found a spark, along with Carolina’s Sebastian Aho.
Giroux showed why he’s been an All-Star seven times, winning faceoffs, flying around the ice, making plays and scoring goals. He scored the second goal, outskating Troy Terry and then quickly changing directions to wrap around goalie John Gibson.
Aho scored the line’s second goal 12 seconds after Giroux’s. Giroux found Guentzel for the team’s fifth goal, which gave them a two-point lead.
“It’s different,” Guentzel said of playing with his division rivals. “That’s what’s cool about this, you get to be around new people and interact with guys you play against every night. You just take that all in. The rivalry is there, but just to come together here to play together for a few times was pretty fun.”
The three of them accounted for 12 of the team’s 26 shots on goal, and Giroux alone had eight. Guentzel and Giroux were the only players on either team to finish plus-two, while Aho finished plus-one. Only one Pacific player, Timo Meier, finished in the positive.
Vegas bombs
With Giroux bombarding the goal, the Pacific Division goalies faced a very uneven shot count. The Metropolitan skaters took 11 more shots, finishing with 26 shots on goal to the Pacific’s 15. Giroux led the way with eight, and Washington Capital Tom Wilson and New Jersey Devil Jack Hughes each added four.
Gibson, who started in goal for the Pacific, faced 13 shots and gave up three goals. Meanwhile, Andersen fielded just seven. While he faced the Edmonton Oilers’ dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who skated circles around everyone while they were out there, he held firm and gave up just one goal.
In the second period, Jarry took over in goal for the Metropolitan and Thatcher Demko for the Pacific. Demko gave up two goals but faced 13 shots. Jarry gave up three but faced nine shots.
Andersen finished with the highest save percentage and fewest goals against.
