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Anyone who claims to have the ability to cap the NHL All-Star Game is a cold-blooded liar.
We can analyze all sorts of numbers, break down data, and dive into past All-Star records until our eyes bleed, but truthfully, we don't have a clue.
There's just no way of knowing which players care to be there, which are out for a leisurely skate, who has chemistry with whom, how many were out drinking the night before (or early that morning), and about a thousand other variables we couldn't dream of capping if we tried. It's the All-Star Game, which in hockey talk loosely translates to "vacation." No one actually cares.
Now that we got the disclaimer out of the way, let's pick a winner!
The format for the All-Star Game remains the same as it was last season - a four-team (one per division), three-on-three, single-elimination tournament. The two Eastern Conference divisions - Atlantic and Metropolitan - face off in one game, and the Western Conference divisions - Pacific and Central - clash in the other.
Here are the odds for the two semifinal games, as well as odds for who will win the tournament:
Team
Odds
Total
Metropolitan
+100
Over 12 (-115)
Atlantic
-120
Under 12 (-105)
Team
Odds
Total
Pacific
-115
Over 12.5 (-115)
Central
-105
Under 12.5 (-105)
Team
Odds
Atlantic
+200
Pacific
+210
Central
+240
Metropolitan
+290
With the games being three-on-three, regular-season overtime stats are the perfect place to start.
The player with the most overtime goals this season is St. Louis Blues and Central Division forward David Perron (four), who was voted "Last Man In" by fans. No other skater at the All-Star Game has more than two.
Perron highlights a Central Division squad that's had plenty of overtime success this season. Mark Scheifele, Tyler Seguin, and Nathan MacKinnon each have two overtime goals this season, while Team Central have collectively scored 13 - more than any other team.
If you're concerned about the small sample size, consider this: Team Central's roster also combined for the most overtime goals last season, led by Patrick Kane and Scheifele's three each.
Also working in favor of Team Central is the fact it has four hometown players. Perron is joined by Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, and Jordan Binnington, all playing in front of their home fans at Enterprise Center.
A first-round matchup against Connor McDavid and the rest of the Pacific Division All-Stars isn't ideal, but there's already some dysfunction surrounding Team Pacific that could prove its undoing.
Stemming from a fiery sequence in the Battle of Alberta two weeks ago, Draisaitl said he and Edmonton Oilers teammate McDavid would get off the ice if they had to play on a line with Tkachuk of the rival Calgary Flames. Trouble in paradise and the games haven't even begun.
The All-Star Game is all about having fun and playing loose, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to envision a scenario where there isn't tension and resentment on the Pacific Division bench. They also come into the weekend without both starting goalies - Marc-Andre Fleury abstaining from participating to rest and Darcy Kuemper missing out due to injury. All these factors make them tough to back at such short odds, just a shade longer than Team Atlantic, the favorites.
Team Atlantic is also dealing with a pair of big absences, with Auston Matthews withdrawing due to a wrist injury and Tuukka Rask pulling out to rest, having just recovered from a concussion. Still, as we've seen with the Metropolitan Division, it could be much worse.
Alexander Ovechkin dropped out of the game to rest, with Team Metropolitan also missing Jake Guentzel, Kyle Palmieri, Artemi Panarin, Dougie Hamilton, and Joonas Korpisalo due to injury. Slavin and Kris Letang were each named replacements, giving Team Metro four defensemen on the roster - no other team has more than two. It's a solid squad, but there's a real lack of star power compared to the other three teams, which makes it a justifiable underdog heading into the tournament.
The best value on the board has to be Team Central, who boast a deliciously skilled roster headlined by MacKinnon and Kane, a wealth of three-on-three success over the past two seasons, and home-ice advantage. It's also the only team not to have anyone drop out or withdraw due to injury.
At +240, you really can't go wrong.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
The NHL All-Star Game is returning to Sunrise, as the Florida Panthers will host the 2021 event, the league announced Friday.
It will take place Jan. 29 and 30, the team announced.
Bettman said the NHL and NHLPA are in discussions about giving it international flavor, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.
The Panthers are hosting for the second time in their history, and for the first time since 2003.
Atlanta Thrashers forward Dany Heatley was named MVP that year after tying an All-Star record with four goals. He also became the first player to score four consecutive markers in the game.
The 16 arenas used during the NHL postseason will have player- and puck-tracking data, commissioner Gary Bettman announced at his All-Star Weekend press conference, according to theScore's John Matisz.
Additionally, all 31 of the league's rinks will have access to such data by the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
This has been in the works for the last few years. The league initially planned to have it ready for this season but changed partners in September from Jogmo World Corp. to SportsMEDIA Technology.
Updating the NHL's official scoring system, which will include puck- and player-tracking data
Developing and installing tracking systems in all NHL arenas
Distributing data in the form of innovative graphics and visualizations to NHL media partners and other stakeholders
Player and puck tracking will allow the league to more accurately collect player data, stats, and analytics. The tracking data will also provide fans with more information on the game for pleasure, education, and betting purposes.
Wayne Gretzky is fully on board with the NHL's decision to increase women's involvement during All-Star Weekend in St. Louis.
"Exposure is everything," Gretzky told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "It's baby steps. You're not going to flood the market overnight. It takes time to get into the markets and get more youth girls to participate in hockey.
"It's very important that there's an understanding from the National Hockey League that we want to help grow women's hockey and make girls' hockey bigger and better than it's ever been. So I think the commissioner and the NHL have done a tremendous thing by bringing these women out."
The NHL has involved women in its All-Star festivities for the past three years, but the league will take it to new heights Friday with a brand-new event featuring the sport's best Canadian and American women in a three-on-three matchup.
Coyne Schofield stole the show at the 2019 All-Star Weekend in San Jose with an impressive lap in the Fastest Skater event, while Decker posted the fastest time in Premier Passing during her demonstration of that event.
"Fans in St. Louis are great hockey fans; they are going to enjoy watching the girls as much as they enjoy watching the men," Gretzky said. "And I think they're going to be surprised that the girls play a very aggressive game of hockey. Their three-on-three game is going to be much more aggressive than the men's game tomorrow."
The women will face off following the Accuracy Shooting contest Friday night. The game will have two 10-minute periods with a running clock.
Takes, thoughts, and trends is theScore's monthly spin around the NHL.
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Watch for Kreider, Pettersson this weekend
The final tally: 12. Yes, a dozen All-Star Weekend participants turned over in the weeks leading up to the event in St. Louis - from Metropolitan Division superstar Alex Ovechkin opting for rest, to Pacific Division bench boss Gerard Gallant giving up his spot because he lost his job.
That's far too many changes - a bad look for the NHL - regardless of each dropout's rationale. It's amazing, though, how deep the talent pool is in this league. The festivities will still include plenty of marquee names and up-and-comers worthy of the platform. Just check out some of the assignments for the skills competition. There are some intriguing dark horses.
Jared Silber / Getty Images
The fastest skater event is headlined by Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Among the six other participants - Jack Eichel, Mathew Barzal, Chris Kreider, Anthony Duclair, Travis Konecny, and Quinn Hughes - I'm most fascinated by Kreider, who's quick with those long legs. Eichel and his nontraditional skating stride could surprise, too. The dude can fly.
The hardest shot competition, meanwhile, features Shea Weber. He's a virtual lock to win with that howitzer of a slap shot. But the rest of the field can hang. Seth Jones, Victor Hedman, and John Carlson are all capable of hitting triple digits on the radar gun. Elias Pettersson, a bit of an odd choice given his small stature and propensity to pass, is definitely the underdog here. I say he finishes in the top three.
Give 'em 7 minutes?
Ditching the five-on-five game for a three-on-three tournament in 2016 was a smart move by the NHL. It's made the All-Star Weekend's main event infinitely more entertaining and has given fans what they ultimately want, which is more offense.
Naturally, the topic of extending three-on-three overtime in games that matter was broached during Thursday's media availabilities with the All-Star players and coaches. The replies seemed overwhelmingly supportive of pushing the overtime period past five minutes in an effort to minimize the number of shootouts.
"I think I'd be a guy who would like to see it," Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "But I don't know if 10's the number or if it's seven, because three-on-three minutes are a lot harder to play in than five-on-five minutes."
Giordano noted that shift length is essentially cut in half in overtime, with players typically staying out on the ice for 20 seconds, versus 40 seconds in regulation. It's more taxing on the body, so there's a health consideration to keep in mind. Extending the extra period to seven or eight minutes would probably do the trick.
"I'd rather see a game decided in overtime at three-on-three than a shootout," he reiterated, before offering a hypothetical: "Are teams just going to hold the puck for five minutes and not take chances? I don't know what the answer is."
Jackets, Elvis rolling
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Everybody counted out the 2019-20 Columbus Blue Jackets. They lost too much talent in the offseason and returned to training camp in September with underwhelming options up front and in net. The Blue Jackets making the playoffs? Ha.
Yet here we are, in late January, and the John Tortorella-coached squad is holding down a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and sitting 10th among all teams in points percentage. All of this despite a rash of injuries.
"We had 10 guys on the IR at one point that were on our starting roster," said Seth Jones, Columbus' lone representative in St. Louis. "The guys who have come up from (AHL) Cleveland - (forward) Nathan Gerbe, to be specific, and a couple of other guys - have done a good job giving us energy every night."
Also of note: Elvis Merzlikins has been a revelation between the pipes. The Latvian rookie has filled in admirably for an injured Joonas Korpisalo, posting a .926 save percentage in 21 games. And he's looked steady in the process.
"He's calm as can be," Jones said. "He lets in a goal and keeps moving on. Hasn't let in many as of late. Knock on wood."
There's a strong chance Columbus keeps rolling after the break. Eight of the club's 15 games in February are against non-playoff teams, including bottom-feeders like the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils.
Sleep well, Mr. Wilson
The San Jose Sharks dropped significant news Thursday when owner Hasso Plattner gave general manager Doug Wilson a vote of confidence in a press release announcing changes to the club's business operations department.
Wilson - the team's GM since 2003 - may have a sterling reputation and might not have been on the hot seat anyway, but for Plattner to come out and say he's "supportive of Doug's plan to get our team back on track" is huge. Don't underestimate the importance of job security for GMs of struggling clubs. Wilson can now approach the trade deadline with nothing but the long-term view in mind. Plus, you can bet he's getting more sleep over the break now.
Priority No. 1 when normal NHL life resumes: finding a way out of that cringeworthy goaltending situation. "Back on track" means stopping pucks.
Isles feeling loss of Pelech
Bill Wippert / Getty Images
It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how much one injury is affecting a team's results, yet it's obvious the New York Islanders miss Adam Pelech's presence.
Pelech, who was excelling on the Isles' top defensive pairing before being sidelined by an Achillies tendon injury, will remain out until at least the end of the regular season. In his absence, New York is 4-4-2. Not terrible, but not good. Either way, it underlines how crucial he is to Barry Trotz's program.
Hockey fans outside of Long Island wouldn't recognize Pelech if they passed him on the street. He's the definition of an effective modern-day meat-and-potatoes defenseman: tough to play against; master of the little details; rarely frazzled. If the NHL had an Unheralded All-Star team, he'd make it every year.
"He plays such a steady game. He's not flashy, but he does flashy things," Isles captain Anders Lee said a day after Pelech's injury became public. "He makes it look so easy that sometimes I think it flies a little under the radar."
Sniper settled in
Hands up if, prior to the start of the season, you had two seventh-rounders pegged as the rookie goal leaders by the break. Yeah, I didn't think so.
Dominik Kubalik, the 191st selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, has bagged 21 goals in 49 games for the Chicago Blackhawks while playing alongside Jonathan Toews for the bulk of the season. Five goals behind Kubalik is the Buffalo Sabres' Victor Olofsson, the 181st pick in the 2014 draft. He's had a spot on Jack Eichel's wing for the vast majority of his 42-game debut.
The speedy Kubalik has made a name for himself of late, potting 10 goals in nine January games. Fellow Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat labels Kubalik's shot as an "absolute bomb." It's quick and powerful.
"He's not scared to get in front of the net, too," DeBrincat said last week of Kubalik, a 24-year-old Czech who was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings. "I think that's how he's gotten a lot of his goals this year. Being right in front of the net, being ready to bang in the rebound. He knows where to be."
Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes - the lone rookie in St. Louis this weekend - were known commodities coming into the season. Kubalik, Olofsson, and the Pittsburgh Penguins' sixth-rounder John Marino - three fringe Calder Trophy contenders - have made sure to steal some of the spotlight.
Who ya got, guys?
The Professional Hockey Writers Association announced its midseason awards Wednesday. The most buzzworthy news: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak were ranked first, second, and third in Hart Trophy voting, respectively.
On Thursday, I asked a handful of All-Stars to weigh in on the MVP discussion. Who's their pick at the unofficial halfway point of the campaign? The question garnered a mix of predictable and interesting responses.
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images
Victor Hedman: "The two guys in Edmonton (McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) are doing pretty good. What else? (Pastrnak) is having a great season. There's so many guys. It's tough to tell. Even John Carlson, with the season he's having so far, he's got to be up there. … I'd probably say one of the two in Edmonton."
David Rittich: "It's hard to say. Two names go through my head: MacKinnon and McDavid."
Mathew Barzal: "You can go with anyone. McDavid, obviously, is right up there. MacKinnon. I'd throw (Alex Ovechkin) up there, too. We play (the Washington Capitals) quite a bit. I get to see him every so often, and when he wants to turn it on, there's really no one that can stop him. I think those three guys are having really good seasons."
Nico Hischier: "I'd go with McDavid or MacKinnon. I think these guys are unbelievable. … It's not easy (to defend them). You don't want to give them much space. If so, they're going to make you pay for it."
Connor Hellebuyck: "That's tough. I'm glad I don't have to choose that right now. I think Nathan MacKinnon's been having a phenomenal year. Patrick Kane. Mark Scheifele's been phenomenal." (Hellebuyck said this with Scheifele, his teammate, within earshot. "Thanks, buddy," the forward said with a grin.)
Business as usual
Do you know who earned a few days away from the rink? Thomas Chabot.
Chabot leads the NHL in ice time at 26:27 a night. The 22-year-old defenseman has already broken the 30-minute barrier eight times this season - twice in October, four times in December, and twice in January. His career high is 37:50, which he set in a mid-December game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Dave Reginek / Getty Images
The crazy thing is, Chabot played 30 minutes a night in junior fairly often. The most extreme case occurred in late 2016. With his Saint John Sea Dogs down to just five defensemen and a regular-season game against the Shawinigan Cataractes requiring overtime, it's believed he hit 40 minutes. (The QMJHL doesn't track time on ice, so nothing's official.)
"I have zero analytical data to back it up, but from memory, I thought he got better the more he played," Sea Dogs general manager Trevor Georgie said. "I think back to that (2017) World Junior Championship in Montreal. He was unbelievable. He was Canada's best player and he would barely sit down. When he got to the bench, he was out next."
So, what's the secret for the Ottawa Senators stud?
"His skating is effortless, and I don't want to say it's easy for him, but he gets around the ice without expending as much energy as most," Georgie said. "I think Chabot's smarts and skating allow him to play that much. He is very much in control and calm."
Red Wings in deep
One final thing: Holy crap, the Red Wings are terrible.
With a 12-35-4 record at the break, Detroit is flirting with infamy. The club's points percentage (.275) in Steve Yzerman's first season as GM is, so far, worse than some truly terrible squads - specifically the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche (.293), the 2013-14 Buffalo Sabres (.317), and the 2014-15 Sabres (.329).
The Wings are allowing 3.88 goals per game, the salary cap era's highest rate. They're scoring 2.12 goals per game, the era's seventh-lowest rate. For context, there have been a total of 453 seasons played by NHL teams since the cap was introduced in 2005-06.
One glance at the Wings' roster and the All-Star teams - Tyler Bertuzzi is their representative - and you realize the free fall in Detroit isn't stopping anytime soon.
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal isn't holding any grudges against his coach after he was benched in the third period Tuesday against the New York Rangers.
"As a young guy, I know an example needs to be set," Barzal said at Thursday's All-Star media day, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese. "I was in the wrong."
With the Islanders up by three late in the game, Barzal had a defensive lapse which resulted in a turnover and almost led to a goal. Despite having two assists on the night, head coach Barry Trotz opted to bench Barzal for nearly the last 18 minutes of the contest due to his mistake.
"I'm a competitor and I always want to be on the ice," Barzal added. "At the end of the day, Barry knows what's best for the team. ... We've had games this year where defensive errors have cost us games and he wasn't going to let that happen again.
"I was in the wrong for the play I made. Barry's got my best interests and the team's best interests. He wants to win as bad as anyone and so do I. It's over with now. We got the win and that's all that really matters."
Barzal, 22, is making his second appearance in the All-Star Game. He has 17 goals and 42 points in 49 games this season.
The Islanders will resume play after the All-Star break Feb. 1. They currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-15-5 record.
2020 NHL All-Star Skills Competition Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri When: Friday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET TV: CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Canada); NBCSN (U.S.)
The time has come for the NHL's biggest stars to put their dazzling talents on display.
The 2020 All-Star Skills Competition will feature two new events, including a three-on-three game that showcases the best of women's hockey. Meanwhile, the winners of the individual events will each earn a $30,000 bonus.
Here's everything you need to know about Friday's action.
Fastest Skater
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
Kendall Coyne Schofield of the U.S. women's national team put everybody on notice last year when she participated in this classic event and posted a time of 14.346 seconds that topped Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller.
Coyne Schofield won't compete this year, but eight NHLers will be timed for one full lap around the rink. Each skater can choose which direction they'll go, and they're allowed to begin a maximum of 3 feet behind the starting line.
Eight goaltenders and all 36 skaters will participate in this event, which is a shootout format in which the goalies will compete to make the most consecutive saves.
Each netminder will face nine skaters from an opposing division and a minimum of nine shot attempts. Those skaters will shoot in order of their number, from the lowest to the highest, with the division's captain going last. The round cannot end with a save, so if the goalie stops the captain's shot, the shooters will continue in the same order until a goal is scored.
The goalie with the longest consecutive save streak will be crowned the winner.
If there's a tie, the winner will be the goaltender who made the most total saves. If at least two goalies are still tied, they will compete in a sudden-death round of "Goalie Goals."
Eight of the league's top snipers will duke it out in this accuracy challenge.
The players will be positioned 25 feet from the goal line. They must hit all of the LED targets in the net, and the player who does it the fastest will be the winner.
This brand-new event will treat fans to one of hockey's greatest international rivalries.
The women's three-on-three matchup will include two teams - American All-Stars and Canadian All-Stars - that are each comprised of nine skaters and one goalie. There will be two 10-minute periods with a running clock.
The American squad will include the likes of Brianna Decker, Hilary Knight, Amanda Kessel, and Coyne Schofield. The Canadian team will feature Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse, and Meghan Agosta, among others.
Hardest Shot
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
Zdeno Chara, who won this competition consecutively from 2007-12, won't be involved this year. However, Shea Weber, who won it three years in a row from 2015-17, will try to take back his crown.
Each player will attempt two shots that are measured in miles per hour, and the higher speed of the two will be recorded.
The players will shoot from 30 feet out. Players can skate toward the puck but can't start from farther away than the blue line. The player who records the fastest shot speed will be the winner.
How about players shooting pucks into targets from an elevated platform above the ice? Sure, why not. We certainly can't blame the NHL for trying something new.
Eight NHLers and one player from each of the American and Canadian women's three-on-three teams will participate. Players will be positioned on the elevated platform 30 feet above the ice and shoot seven pucks at different targets. Protective netting will be installed above the fans.
Targets will have different point values, and players will be allowed to hit them more than once. The player who accumulates the most points will be the winner.
