Claude Giroux came to play, folks.
Buoyed by a three-goal performance from the Flyers’ captain, the Metropolitan Divison emerged from the 2022 NHL All-Star Game victorious on Saturday, beating the Central Divison in a hotly contested final by a score of 5-3.
Giroux, who led all players in goals over the afternoon, was eventually named All-Star Game MVP after the final buzzer, and likely made a good number of his peers delighted at the thought of their teams potentially trading for him in the next month or two.
Scoring indeed became the name of the game at T-Mobile Arena as, in typical All-Star fashion, defense was not exactly top of mind.
The three-on-three format did lay the groundwork for more than a few fireworks among the competing teams, producing constant odd-man rushes and breakaways at both ends of the ice, with New Jersey’s Jack Hughes and Colorado’s Nazem Kadri producing two of the more memorable solo goals.
The goaltenders, on the other hand, might not have enjoyed the format quite as much as the players, who provided little help to their padded brethren.
The Atlantic Division, in particular, had a difficult time keeping the puck out of their own net, with Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopping just nine of the twelve shots he faced in the game before Jack Campbell relieved him and turned aside just six of his 10.
Of course, that’s the fun of the All-Star Game. Skill is meant to be at the forefront of the experience, and 2022 brought that in spades, as the talent of the league’s best players caused the energy level in the championship game to reach heights rarely seen on All-Star weekend.
That energy seemed to creep into referees as well, with the officiating crew overseeing a whopping three separate offside reviews over the course of the afternoon’s three matchups, much to the chagrin of those watching from home.
Alas, fun was still had all around. And, if nothing else, the NHL can take solace in the fact that one of its newest markets in Las Vegas is well on its way to becoming a hockey hotbed.