The Rangers Tribune

Rangers Recall Del Zotto, Grachev and Newbury

Following Sunday's All-Star Game, the New York Rangers announced that they have recalled defenseman Michael Del Zotto and forwards Evgeny Grachev and Kris Newbury from the Connecticut Whale of the AHL. According to Andrew Gross, all three will hit the ice today at 2 p.m. when the team meets back up for the first time since last week's loss to the Florida Panthers.

Del Zotto was most likely recalled as a seventh defensemen, because Dan Girardi (rib) is fully expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday when the Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden. The same could be said for winger Ryan Callahan, who is looking to return from a broken hand that has kept him out since December 15.

Kris Newbury, on the other hand, has made an impact on the fourth line for the Blueshirts, so that is why he was brought back.

Check back in a little for volume two of our photo collection from All-Star Weekend here in Raleigh. For volume one, click here.

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Photo Collection: Rangers Tribune's 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend, Vol. 2

Yesterday we brought you volume one of our photo collection live from All-Star Weekend here in Raleigh, North Carolina. Today, with the festivities wrapping up last night, we recap our experience with volume two. Take a look....

In volume one we brought you pictures of the environment outside of the arena, but in volume two we bring you pictures inside of the RBC Center and in the locker rooms. First up is Carolina's version of Justin Bieber - Jeff Skinner - after Saturday's skills competition.

Ever wonder what a player's perspective is when walking through the tunnel onto the ice? Well now you know.

Here's the Rangers' own Henrik Lundqvist preparing for Sunday's All-Star Game at his locker. Creepy that I am snapping pictures of Hank without him knowing? Maybe a little, but it's not everyday you have the chance to get a shot of that.

Team Staal poses at center ice for a club photo before Sunday's All-Star Game.

Team Lidstrom does the same.

Both teams stand at the blue-lines of the RBC Center as the National Anthem is sung before the game.

Last but not least is Ranger defenseman Marc Staal being questioned by media after the All-Star Game.

This officially puts a wrap on our live All-Star Weekend coverage from Raleigh. I hope you enjoyed the experience as much as I did, but hats off to the people of Carolina. It is disappointing that it took a major event like this for the Caniacs' dedication to be recognized, but now that it is, they deserve a lot of credit. They welcomed foreign fans with open arms and made us all feel at home.

So take a bow, Caniacs. You were incredible hosts.

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Callahan and Girardi to Return Tomorrow, Dubinsky Possible, Prospal Thursday

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Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants is reporting injury news from today's practice that will be sure to bring a smile to your face. Forward Ryan Callahan will return to the lineup tomorrow night versus the Pittsburgh Penguins after missing 19 games due to a broken hand. Callahan is the type of guy that always wants to do everything in his power to help the team win, so being out since December 15 has been eating him alive. It's nice to have the alternate captain back in the lineup, and also yet another offensive boost.

Also coming back in tomorrow's game against the Penguins will be defenseman Dan Girardi, who missed the last two games before the All-Star break with a sore rib muscle. You heard it here the other night; Marc Staal attributes a lot of his success to having Girardi as a partner on the blue-line, so he is someone that will be very happy about Dan's return.

This also reunites the Blueshirts' top shutdown pairing on defense. Honestly, it could not come at a better time with a team like the Pens in town, even if they are without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Much to my surprise, forward Brandon Dubinsky will try to make his comeback tomorrow as well. Dubinsky has missed five games due to a stress fracture in his leg and was not expected to come back until mid-February, so for him to not rule tomorrow out means recovery has went much faster than originally planned.

Vinny Prospal, who has not played in a single game this season after having knee surgery over the summer, is scheduled to join the lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. Like I have said over and over again, it is unknown if he will have his full game back at this point, but considering the team has survived without him for the entire season, anything he adds is a bonus.

And now I will stop talking and allow you to run around your living room, call your friend or do whatever your little heart desires to celebrate this amazing news.

Who's pumped for the second half of the season, now?

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Photo Collection: Rangers Tribune's 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend, Vol.1

The guys over at Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy did a photo expedition to share their experience at All-Star Weekend so far, so I decided I would do something similar here on The Rangers Tribune. Here it is..

This is the display in the hotel lobby that I was greeted by upon arriving on Friday night. Needless to say, I was overjoyed when I saw King Henrik front and center there.

That's right, they built an actual rink in downtown Raleigh for fans to skate on. How awesome is that?

This was taken at the NHL FainFair located at the local convention center. They had a display of fake lockers with all of the players' equipment. Obviously this was Henrik Lundqvist's stuff. I was very tempted to suit up.

The streets here in Raleigh are lined with all of the flags of every NHL team. Here is the Ranger flag.

The rivalry lives on, even in North Carolina. I saw those two youngsters with their Lundqvist and Brodeur sweaters and just had to take a snapshot.

Here is the RBC Center before Saturday's SuperSkills Competition. Really a great sight with the players and logo printed on the glass like that.

And lastly, had a few minutes with the Stanley Cup this morning at breakfast. Above is the New York Rangers' 93-94 Cup Championship engraving. Don't worry, I didn't touch it.

Hope you enjoyed my little photo collage here. I will do another one tomorrow as I will surely be taking more pictures today before the actual All-Star Game.

Also, if you did not catch my SuperSkills recap with thoughts from Lundqvist and Marc Staal, you can do so here.

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Pregame Notes: 2011 NHL All-Star Game Edition

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RALEIGH, NC -- Friday's Player Draft was a lot of fun, Saturday's red carpet and SuperSkills were entertaining, but they were only lead-ups to the main event -- this afternoon's 58h Annual NHL All-Star Game.

This tilt between Team Staal and Team Lidstrom will be the first time the Eastern Conference and Western Conference players will mesh to form two multi-conference clubs. Vice President of Hockey and Business Development Brendan Shanahan is the mastermind behind it all and believes the new format will create more excitement surrounding the game and also gain the interest of the players more than in years past.

Following Friday's draft, many went ahead and predicted Team Lidstrom as the sure winners of today's contest. However, Team Staal made it clear that they are comfortable playing the role of underdog when they were victorious in last night's SuperSkills Competition by an 11-point deficit.

Team Lidstrom alternate captain Martin St. Louis downplayed the defeat, though, by making this statement to Dave Lozo of NHL.com: "We built this team to win the game, not the skills competition."

So clearly the players are taking this game to heart and the level of competition is quite high. And then of course you have all of the headlines going in that make the match-up even more intriguing thanks to the media build-up.

Captain Eric Staal and brother Marc Staal of the New York Rangers will play together for the very first time in this game, so that is something that each of them are looking forward to. I got the chance to ask Marc about the opportunity last night...

"It should be fun," said Marc. "I'm pretty excited about it. Obviously it's an All-Star Game, which is a little different than playing a regular game, but I've never played with him before so I am looking forward to it".

Another major storyline is Henrik and Daniel Sedin being split up for the first time in their careers. The twins are one of the more dynamic duos that the National Hockey League has ever seen, but now they will faceoff against each other much to the pleasure of the fans, and maybe themselves as well.

This event is designed to bring out the inner personality and skill of the most talented players around the league, but I think these two teams are going to be pushing hard for the victory. The prize will be nothing more than bragging rights, but for these guys - who I have noticed are more like kids as I have spent more time around them - that is enough.

Enjoy the game everyone, and stop by here later today for a postgame recap including quotes from the locker rooms.

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Recapping the 2011 All-Star Game; Lundqvist and Staal Share Their Thoughts

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RALEIGH, NC -- The atmosphere inside of the RBC Center this evening for the 58th Annual NHL All-Star Game was marvelous. The "Let's Go Staal" chants were roaring through the building before the puck even dropped, and once it did, the ovations for hometown players Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner were extraordinary. The excitement kept pace throughout the game as it wasn't until the final seconds that Team Lidstrom was decided the winner, 11-10.

Alexander Ovechkin put the game's first goal in the net just 50 seconds after the opening faceoff. Team Staal went on to score an additional three unanswered goals on Marc-Andre Fleury after that to grab a 4-0 lead.

Team Lidstrom eventually battled back before the buzzer, though, getting four straight goals from Anze Kopitar, Dustin Byfuglien, Loui Eriksson and Matt Duchene. A 4-4 tie was the way the two clubs entered the first intermission.

Patrick Sharp and Kris Letang opened the second with back-to-back goals for Team Staal, but were answered by the Lidtsroms, who netted three of their own. This left Team Lidstrom with a 7-6 lead heading into the third period.

Captain Eric Staal finally scored 3:49 into the third and final stanza, sending the house full of Caniacs to their feet. That was probably the loudest the arena got all night, and boy was it quite an eruption.

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist entered the net for the third period and was forced to face Matt Duchene on the first ever penalty-shot in All-Star Game history. Duchene was awarded the shot since he was all alone on a breakaway when Alex Ovechkin decided to fling his stick to try and throw Duchene off.

When asked about that play in the locker room afterwards, by the way, Ovechkin stated "I wanted to be different."

Lundqvist made the stop on Duchene, and made plenty more after that as well. However, Team Lidstrom managed to beat King Henrik four times in the third period, and then added an empty-netter to secure the 11-10 victory.

Following the game, Lundqvist spoke about how it is to be a goaltender in an All-Star Game, which I found interesting since it must be extremely difficult...

"You [the fans] want to see a lot of scoring chances, you want to see a lot of goals," Lundqvist said. "So for a goalie playing in a game like this, you have the mindset that they're going to score on you.

"I told Carey [Price] after his period, you have to appreciate the good saves."

Hank was then asked to sum up the weekend as a whole, and he gave it very high marks...

"It was a great weekend," said Henrik. "Starting Friday with the draft, I think they organized everything really well and it was a lot of fun.

"I think the best part is meeting all the players and getting to know them a little bit better.... I love that part."

I then stepped in and asked Lundqvist how easy (or difficult) it is to switch focus back to the Rangers after this weekend, being that they host the Penguins at MSG on Tuesday...

"This has been a break for me a little bit," said Lundqvist. "Mentally you don't have to prepare or focus, you just try to have fun.

Going back to New York now, it's going to be a different ballgame. It's much more intense, so I look forward to coming back and seeing the guys at a really important time for us."

Lundqvist's locker was not the only one I spent time at, as I also made my way through the media-bombarded room to defenseman Marc Staal's locker, where he basically reiterated what Henrik said about the weekend being a lot of fun and all.

Another reporter asked Marc if there was any ribbing on his brother Eric until he finally scored in the third period...

"Yeah, I mean, I told him that he was letting everybody down," said Staal with a smile on his face. "He had some good chances, so it was only a matter of time before he put a couple in."

He was then asked about how he felt when the fans were chanting Let's Go Staal...

"I actually thought it was pretty cool," Marc said. "Obviously they [the chants] weren't for me, but I have the same last name as my brother, so it was cool just to be in that atmosphere."

I agree with both of them in that the NHL and the city of Raleigh deserve a round of applause for their efforts this weekend. The people were great, the fans were very supportive and the overall experience was a memorable one. And don't forget about Brendan Shanahan - the man behind the new format, which proved to be a success.

I will have more up on the blog tomorrow recapping the entire weekend here in North Carolina, but for now, enjoy the rest of your Sunday and get ready for crunch time for the Rangers!

EDIT: Almost forgot, big congratulations to Patrick Sharp of Team Staal for winning the All-Star MVP. Well deserved.

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Picking Apart the 2011 NHL All-Star Teams

The National Hockey League kicked All-Star Weekend off right with last night’s Fantasy Player Draft here in Raleigh, North Carolina. The fans were very much into it, the players seemed to be enjoying themselves and the streets were buzzing afterward (mostly Caniacs).

Going in, I think there was some concern as to how this would go considering it is the first year following a new format. So far so good, though, as the draft was a definite success.

So now it’s time to get down to business and pick apart these rosters (view team rosters here). Everyone seems to be picking Team Lidstrom as the early favorites, but I wouldn’t necessarily count Team Staal out just yet. However, I do believe Captain Eric put himself at a disadvantage by selecting goaltender Cam Ward with the first overall pick, and we go deeper into that below.

Team Staal

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I will start by analyzing Team Staal, which will be the obvious hometown team with three Hurricanes on the roster. As far as their forwards go, I think they are somewhat weaker. Beyond Staal (CAR), Ovechkin (WAS), Sedin (VAN) and Nash (CBJ), I am not too sure you would consider the remainder of the offensive squad ‘superstars’. Don’t get me wrong, they are a highly talented group of individuals, but they fail in comparison to Team Lidstrom’s offense.

Eric did do a good job on drafting a solid defense, so I will give him credit for that. In addition to snagging his brother Marc (NYR), the captain also selected Zdeno Chara (BOS), Dan Boyle (SJS), Kris Letang (PIT), Erik Karlsson (OTT), and Mike Green (WAS) was already on the team as an alternate captain. That is quite an impressive list of blue-liners, and a good mix between puck moving and stay-at-home D as well.

I may be biased here, but I love the goaltending trio that will be between the pipes for Team Staal. Obviously my boy Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers is a part of that, and will be accompanied by Cam Ward of the ‘Canes and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. Those three are going to have their work cut out for them when going against the stacked offense of Team Lidstrom, so we shall see how they hold up.

Team Lidstrom

Speaking of that offense for the “away” team, the boys did a spectacular job in picking the higher-end talent out of the pool of forwards. It appeared that alternate captains Patrick Kane and Martin St. Louis had a lot of say in who was chosen, and clearly they knew what they were doing up there.

Right off the bat, you have the hottest tandem in hockey right now with St. Louis and Stamkos (TBL) together. They will not be the only source of scoring, though, because the list continues with Patrick Kane (CHI), Jonathan Toews (CHI), Danny Briere (PHI), Henrik Sedin (VAN), Brad Richards (DAL), Anze Kopitar (LAK) and many more. Now you see why so many people have already went out and predicted Team Lidstrom as the winners of Sunday’s game.

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In the back-end, Team Lidstrom carries much experience among their drafted players. Obviously you have Nik back there, but also Duncan Keith (CHI), Shea Weber (NSH) and Dustin Byfuglien (ATL), who have all played in their fair share of big games. And then of course you have Brent Burns (MIN) and Keith Yandle (PHX), who are both having great seasons.

I was happy to see big Byfuglien reunited with his former Hawk teammates, as that will make the experience a much more enjoyable one for him. It must be hard departing from a Stanley Cup team with so many tight friends on it like Dustin was forced to do over the summer, but now they have all been brought together again to participate in this great event. I find that pretty cool.

Lidstrom was smart to go with Timmy Thomas as his first goaltender in the draft, as the Boston Bruin goalie has been the best player to man the net in the NHL this season. Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) and Jonas Hiller (ANA) aren’t too shabby as back-ups, either. Needless to say, the goaltending for both clubs is top-notch.

Head-to-Head

Offensively I have to give the advantage to Team Lidstrom. As I said above, they are loaded with skill up front and are significantly deeper than Team Staal. I know this has the early makings of a blowout, but I think it will be a closer game than most expect, despite the drastic difference on offense.

A lot of one on one questions going into this… Who will have a larger impact: Ovechkin or Stamkos? Who will be the better Sedin: Henrik or Daniel? Who will be the better youngster: Duchene or Skinner?

Defensively I like Team Staal better. They have a good mix of blue-liners that will blend well together. They will be forced to play at their top of their game in order to contain that Lidstrom offense, but I believe they will be up for the challenge.

Goaltending can really go either way, as there are valid arguments for both teams. However, if I had to pick, I think I give the edge to Team Lidstrom (Sorry Hank). Not much should get by Thomas, Fleury and Hiller.

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I will be out and about on the streets of Raleigh this morning. There is a lot to check out, including the NHL All-Star FanFair. Will be taking lots of pictures, which you will be able to find here on the blog and on Twitter.

And then at 4:30 p.m. it will be the red carpet arrival followed by Commissioner Bettman’s press conference. I will be among the media for both and will bring you live coverage right here on The Rangers Tribune.

Don’t go away!

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Previewing Tonight's Honda SuperSkills Competition (Update)

Some fans enjoy the Skills Competition more than the All-Star Game itself, and rightly so. It gives the most gifted athletes in the game a chance to show off creativity and skill that you wouldn't necessarily see in a regular season game. The goal is to give the players that childhood feeling of playing on the backyard rink with a group of friends, and with the draft being held last night followed by the skills competition tonight, the NHL has done an excellent job of doing that so far.

This will be the first time Team Staal and Team Lidstrom will go head-to-head, and remember, each club also has a group of rookies participating in the competitions as well. The Rangers' Derek Stepan will be on Team Lidstrom, which means he will be opposing teammates Marc Staal and Henrik Lundqvist. Bragging rights up for grabs right there.

Below is the list of all the competitions followed by their descriptions. The players that will participate in each contest are being picked as we speak.

Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater: During the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater™, the first event of Honda NHL SuperSkills®, six players from each team will compete, including one Rookie and five All-Star skaters. The contest will consist of six preliminary races with two players skating at one time taking one lap of the ice; the players from each team with the fastest time will then meet in one final match race. A total of eight points are available – one each to the winner of the six individual races and two points to the winner of the final race.

BlackBerry NHL Breakaway Challenge: The fan favorite BlackBerry NHL Breakaway Challenge™ returns again this year, the event Alex Ovechkin has made his own by taking home the title each of the first two years. A test of the amount of creativity a player can insert into a breakaway, three shooters from each team – one Rookie and two All-Stars – and one goalie will participate. Fans in-arena and watching on television in the U.S. and Canada will be able to vote for their favorite player by texting the number that corresponds to the player of their choice to 81812. Each skater will attempt four shots – with no limits. Shooters can start their attempt from anywhere with full access to the offensive zone, including behind the net. NHL penalty shot rules do not apply. The shooter with the highest fan vote will score four points for his team, second place will score three points and third place will score one point.

McDonald’s NHL Accuracy Shooting: From 25 feet in front of the net, shooters take aim at four foam targets attached to the inner side of the goalposts. The objective is to hit all of the targets in the fastest time. A total of six players from each team, including one Rookie and five All-Stars, will compete, with two additional All-Stars from each team serving as the all-important passers. A total of eight points are available. The winner of each match scores one point. The players with the fastest time from each team will go head-to-head in the final round for the title of the NHL’s most accurate shooter and two additional team points.

G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay: This new event for 2011 will feature 16 players from each team, including two Rookies and fourteen All-Stars, in an all-around competition that will showcase the one-timer, passing, puck control, stick-handling and accuracy shooting in four exciting relays. In the one-timer event, three shooters (with the assistance of one passer) must score three goals over an eight inch barrier; in the passing event, one passer must complete a pass into each of the six nets set up around the rink; in the puck control event, one skater will skate through a series of cones while keeping possession of the puck; in the stick handling event, one skater will control the puck through a series of obstacles; and in the accuracy shooting event, one player will take aim at four targets. Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next skill in this timed relay event worth a total of eight points. Four groups will go through the relay – two for each team. The group with the fastest time will score four points, second place will score three points and third place will score one point.

XM NHL Hardest Shot: Bruins blueliner Zdeno Chara not only won his third consecutive XM NHL Hardest Shot™ competition in 2009, but his blast of 105.4 miles an hour broke the all-time record previously held by Al Iafrate and set in 1993. The event returns this year as six players from each team, including one Rookie and five All-Stars, compete in six head-to-head matches. Two players will square off in each round, valued at one point each. The highest recorded shot (by radar in mph) will earn one point for his team. The players from each team with the hardest single shot will meet in a final match, with two points scored to the winner, to determine the NHL’s hardest shooter.

Discover NHL Elimination Shootout: The battle between Team Staal and Team Lidstrom will be ultimately decided as all of the All-Stars and Rookies compete in the Discover NHL Elimination Shootout™, a time-honored game of “hockey survivor.” Shooters who score will move on to the next round in the shootout, with the All-Star goalies rotating after every third shooter. Rounds of the shootout will continue until only one player scores and the other(s) don’t; the last scoring shooter wins. Every goal scored will count as one point for his team.

It should be an entertaining night at the RBC Center. Before that, though, I will have a post up recapping the the red carpet arrivals (4 p.m.) as well as Commissioner Gary Bettman's press conference (6 p.m.), so stay tuned for that.

The SuperSkills event begins at 7 p.m. and can be watched live on VERSUS.

UPDATE: Check out which players will participate in which events HERE.

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Sights and Sounds from the Red Carpet at the 2011 ASG (Interview w/ Lundqvist)

The 2011 NHL All-Stars made their entrance into the RBC Center in style this evening, walking down the red carpet amongst the hundreds of fans that came down to see. I was fortunate enough to be in the media pit during the entrances and took tons of pictures and also got to talk with a few of the players.

First to walk down the red carpet were the rookies, led by Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers. Hall created quite a roar in the crowd, but the real eruption came when Carolina's own Jeff Skinner appeared and signed autographs for the anxious fans.

Taylor Hall

Tyler Seguin

P.K. Subban

Jeff Skinner

And then you had the big boys make their entrance, led by Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Green of the Washington Capitals. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves, some more 'interestingly' dressed than others, but they looked very dapper out there.

I think I have to give best-dressed to Dustin Byfuglien in his blue plaid jacket. Patrick Kane also looked pretty sharp out there in his Hollywood sunglasses as well, though.

I also briefly spoke with New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Here is what I asked him, followed by his responses...

Me: The Rangers are in playoff position as of right now. What are the team's goals moving forward into the final few months of the season?

Henrik Lundqvist: "We want to improve our game. The most important part will be the next two months, as that is going to decide whether we are satisfied with our season or not. We have a big couple of weeks ahead of us here, but I feel pretty strong about the team"

Me: Is the feeling in the [Ranger] locker room that you guys can go all the way, and that this could be the year?

Henrik Lundqvist: "Yeah, why not? The difference between the top team and the bottom team is not big anymore, it's more about consistency. I think we have a chance to do some damage in the playoffs, but we have to make it there first. I definitely think we can go all the way."

There you have it: Henrik Lundqvist believes that the New York Rangers can go all the way.

On that note, I am headed up to my seats to watch the SuperSkills competition.

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SuperSkills Recap with Thoughts from Lundqvist and Marc Staal

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RALEIGH, NC -- Saturday's Honda SuperSkills Competition certainly lived up to the expectations we set for it going in. From Daniel Sedin's sharpshooting to Zdeno Chara's record-breaking 105.9 mph blast, the events kept the fans in attendance at their edge of their seats and provided for some fun competition between the players taking part.

Michael Grabner of the New York Islanders kicked things off by winning the Fastest Skater Challenge. Give credit to Kevin Weekes of the NHL Network, because he picked this kid to win it from the start. He could really fly, but what most impressed me was his ability to maintain speed when going through the turns.

Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was then chosen as the winner of the BlackBerry Breakaway challenge for his butt-end deke on Marc-Andre Fleury. I also thought Corey Perry gave him a run for his money with some of the moves he pulled off as well.

I absolutely loved the G Series Skills Relay. It gave the players an opportunity to simply mess around with the puck and display the skills they have been working on since they were kids. Team Lidstrom came out on top of this one, partly due to the fact that Jonathan Toews was able to hit all four targets consecutively at the end of the relay. The mini nets were a great idea, but the players handled them better than I thought they would.

Zdeno Chara and Shea Weber (no surprise) were the last two standing in the Hardest Shot Competition. Weber was able to laser one at 103 mph, but Chara eventually topped it by breaking his own record with a 105.9 mph cannon. Alex Ovechkin was also fun to watch in this competition, between breaking his stick, tripping over the camera wire and then not having his shot registered multiple times. Good stuff.

The night concluded with the Discover Elimination Shootout, in which Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury dominated in net. Lundqvist stopped all shooters through two rounds besides Marty St. Louis, who pulled off his famous 'reverse' deke.

I got a chance to ask Lundqvist about facing all of those talented shooters in the locker room afterwards...

"It is definitely a challenge," he said. "Usually when you go into a shootout during the regular season you face the best players on the team, so a lot of these guys you've met before in the shootout."

And I just had to question him about facing Ranger teammate Derek Stepan, who almost beat him with a great move...

"He almost had me there," the smirking Lundqvist said. "He knew I was down so I was in trouble. I managed to keep going and going and slide over to the post. Sort of got lucky there."

Also waited around for Marc Staal and got to ask him a few questions. The first was on playing with brother Eric for the first time tomorrow in the All-Star Game....

"It should be fun," said Marc. "I'm pretty excited about it. Obviously it's an All-Star Game, which is a little different than playing a regular game, but I've never played with him before so I am looking forward to it".

And lastly I asked him about the season he is having individually with New York....

"It's going well," said Staal. "Our team has started to play well, so that is always easier for individual success. I have a good partner in [Dan] Girardi and we've found success playing together, so it's been a lot of fun so far".

So that does it for tonight here in Raleigh. I am off to an after-party now, and then it is back to the Arena tomorrow for the big game.

By the way, tonight's final score was 33-22 in favor of Team Staal. G'night everyone!

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