A history made in the 2011 All-Star game (first penalty ever!!!)

A bit of history was made in this year NHL All-Star game. Who made it? You guessed right, it's Alex the Great, Alexander Ovechkin. He did it, not by scoring the most goals ever, not by scoring the fastest goal, but by throwing his stick during a breakaway by Duchene. Alex provided us with another great hockey tip, for spectators it should be entertaining. As simple as that. For the full recap of the NHL All-Star skill competition and game read a story by Sarah Sotoodeh from neontommy.com.

SuperSkills Competition

Saturday’s SuperSkills event was entertaining to say the least. Team Staal won overall, with the final score of 33-22.

Rookie Michael Grabner won Fastest Skater while Daniel Sedin won for Best Accuracy, going 4-for-4 on the targets in the first round, the only player to do so. In the final round, he went 4-for-5 against Patrick Kane.

Team Lidstrom won the Skills Challenge Relay while Zdeno Chara beat his own record from last year for the Hardest Shot, hitting the puck 105.9 mph and winning the challenge. The 6-foot-9 Boston Bruins defenseman told NHL.com that “records are meant to broken.”

Ovechkin won the Breakaway Challenge for the third time. Corey Perry won the Elimination Shootout, shooting 3-for-3 against Jonas Hillar, Marc-Andre Fleury and Tim Thomas.

The most memorable moment of SuperSkills was P.K. Subban (of the Montreal Canadiens) wearing Jeff Skinner’s jersey during the Breakaway Challenge, the event where the winner is voted on by the fans. Skinner, a crowd favorite in Carolina, was laughing as the crowd went crazy for “Skinner,” a.k.a. Subban. Subban placed second, with 20.3 percent of the fan votes, behind Ovechkin.

All-Star Game

The final score of Sunday’s All-Star game at the RBC Center was Team Lidstrom 11, Team Staal 10. The high-scoring game gave the frenzied crowd exactly what they wanted: entertainment. It was the third All-Star game in history where both teams scored more than 10 goals (it happened previously in 2009 and 2001).

Patrick Sharp of Team Staal won MVP of the game for his two assists and one goal. Sharp’s three Blackhawk teammates — Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith — were all on the winning team, Team Lidstrom.

“They won the game and I got the trophy, so I guess everybody is happy,” Sharp told NHL.com, when asked about the flight home to Chicago. “I’ll be sure to bring (the MVP) up a few times.”

If you turned your TV on five minutes and 41 seconds after the game started, you would have missed four goals by team Staal (Ovechkin, Paul Stastny, Patrik Elias and Claude Giroux all scored) against Marc-Andre Fleury. By the 16th minute, the game was tied 4-4, with goals by Team Lidstrom’s Anze Kopitar, Dustin Byfuglien, Loui Eriksson and Matt Duchene against goalkeeper Cam Ward.

The second period brought Jonas Hiller of the Ducks on the ice as goalkeeper for Team Lidstrom and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens for Team Staal. Sharp scored a goal in the first few minutes of the second period. Team Staal’s Kris Letang (of the Pittsburgh Penguins) scored in the seventh minute, making the game 6-4.

During the period, Letang accidently shot the puck straight into Hiller’s face mask but the goalkeeper shook it off and Letang apologized to Hiller. Kopitar scored his second goal later in the second period, and Lidstrom scored his first (it was Lidstrom’s 12th All-Star game). Danny Briere finished the second period scoring with a goal to give Team Lidstrom a 7-6 lead.

In the third period, Team Staal had goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist on the ice and Tim Thomas was on the ice for Team Lidstrom. Team captain Eric Staal scored two goals in the third, one of them right between the legs of Thomas.

Ovechkin threw his stick during a breakaway by Duchene, the first penalty of any NHL All-Star game ever. When asked why, Ovechkin told NHL.com, “Why not? It’s fun. I think fans love it. It’s a good moment. He didn’t score, right? I’m in history again.”

Duchene wasn’t able to score a second goal after Lundqvist blocked his penalty shot. Letang scored his second goal for Team Staal while Toews and Martin St. Louis scored back-to-back goals for Team Lidstrom. Rick Nash made the game 10-9, with Team Lidstrom still leading. Loui Eriksson scored his second goal, the game-winning goal, making it 11-9. Eric Staal scored his second goal with 30 seconds left in the game, but it wasn’t enough to get his team the win.

Hockey Tip #2 - Think outside the box

This is tip #2 of my hockey tips series. Watch this fantastic goal by Oscar Milton. Just shows you that a bit of improvisation goes a long way. Be creative with the puck and good things will happen. Good luck! And remember - practice makes it perfect.

10 things to watch in the NHL All-Star game

So, today is the "big" hockey game of the year... Or is it? Is it really going to be exciting? Is it going to meet our expectations? Are we going to be entertained? I hope we can answer "YES" to all those questions. At least with the new format, the players might have something to prove. I hope we can learn at least one of the hockey tips in this game. Here is a list of 10 things to watch in the All-Star game according to Chris Johnston form the Canadian Press.

1. Jeff Skinner. While all three Hurricanes will get plenty of attention, this event has been a coming out party for the 18-year-old rookie. He's the youngest player selected to participate in a NHL all-star game and will be looking to deliver something special for the hometown fans. If that happens, he might be elevated to rock star status in Raleigh.

2. Sedin split. It will be the first time in 30 years that Henrik (Team Lidstrom) and Daniel (Team Staal) will face one another in a hockey game. The Swedish stars have welcomed the split and are hoping that they'll spend a fair amount of time on the ice together. Said Henrik: "It would be fun to have the lines play against each other, that's for sure."

3. Steven Stamkos. The NHL's leader in both goals and points is getting his first taste of the all-star experience this weekend. He and Lightning linemate Martin St. Louis are both members of Team Lidstrom and will likely be part of the same forward unit. It will be interesting to see if he'll unleash one of his patented one-timers.

4. Blackhawks crew. Pity Patrick Sharp. He's the only member of the Chicago Blackhawks not on Team Lidstrom — the defending Stanley Cup champions have four representatives in Raleigh — and will face teammates Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith as a result. There has been some trash talking among that group heading in.

5. Letang/Fleury. The Penguins are also dealing with a split. Defenceman Kris Letang is suiting up for Team Staal while goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is a member of Team Lidstrom. Letang is in the midst of his best offensive season and would love to get a goal against his good buddy.

6. Danny Briere. A late injury addition to the event, the Philadelphia Flyers forward will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. He was upset at being left off initially and has brought his three sons (Cameron, Carson and Caelan) down to share in the experience. Briere is also a former all-star MVP, having taken the honours in 2007.

7. Alex Ovechkin. The NHL's ultimate showman, Ovechkin appears to be having more fun this weekend than he has all season. It's been a tough year for the Washington Capitals captain, but he has recently shown signs of getting his mojo back. He enjoys the spotlight as much as anyone.

8. The Thunder Bay Three. Eric Staal and brother Marc are naturally getting plenty of attention at the event, but somewhat lost in the hype is the fact they're sharing a dressing room with another player from their hometown: Sharp. All three were born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ont., and spend some time there in the summers. Perhaps they'll have some chemistry from the pick-up games.

9. Phil Kessel. The last man picked in Friday's player draft has a chance to come home from Carolina with two vehicles. He was given a Honda CR-Z and $20,000 for charity after being the last man standing. Expect Kessel to have a bit more motivation to shine in the all-star game as a result, which might give him a shot at winning the MVP award.

10. Goalies. This offensive-minded event is always tough on the men who mind the net. Carolina's Cam Ward, Montreal's Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers will each play a period for Team Staal while Boston's Tim Thomas, Anaheim's Jonas Hiller and Fleury will see duty for Team Lidstrom. It's worth noting that Thomas was credited with the win at the last two all-star games.

What are going to watch for in this year All-Star Hockey game? 

Phil Kessel was the last one to be picked in the NHL All-Star game draft.

No surprise here. Phil has not delivered with the Leafs this year. It was a big mistake to bring him to Toronto.

Who will be the last one to be picked in the NHL All-Star game draft???

The 2011 NHL All-Star game is around the corner. No doubt, the change in the selection process will spike some interest from all the hockey fans. Everybody wants to know who will be the last guy to be selected for the game. Don't tell me that the captains Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings and Eric Staal of the host Carolina Hurricanes don't think about it either. No doubts, whatever happens, there will be something to prove for this hockey player. I hope he'll decide to prove all of them wrong and be the best player on the ice that day. Hopefully, he'll teach us a couple of hockey tips, that we discuss on this blog. Any predictions who he'll be? 


Read this story by David Pollack in Mercury News. Let me know what you think.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- For one of the NHL players gathering here this weekend -- among the world's best at his chosen sport -- Friday night could be humbling.

That's because the NHL All-Star game's new playground-style team selection process means somebody must be picked last. Someone has to end up being the final player chosen when captains Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings and Eric Staal of the host Carolina Hurricanes point their powerful fingers and choose up sides for Sunday's game.

Defenseman Dan Boyle, the lone Shark playing in the game, certainly doesn't want to be that guy.

"I guess that's fun for the fans and the media," he said, "not so much for the players."

Yet the draft is the brainchild of two former players, Brendan Shanahan and onetime Sharks captain Rob Blake. The hope is it will inject interest and intrigue into a much-criticized event that has been overshadowed in recent years by the outdoor Winter Classic.

Boyle, as it turned out, doesn't have to worry about being the last player taken because the fine print of the new system requires that all defensemen be taken by the 15th of 21 rounds.

On the other hand, St. Louis Blues forward David Backes recognizes that he is a candidate for the dubious distinction. One online gambling site, in fact, put Backes and Edmonton's Ales Hemsky -- who has since been sidelined with an injury -- as co-favorites to be the last name on anybody's list.

Backes is taking it philosophically, saying he was honored and thrilled to see his name on the roster.

"I guess being the last guy picked is better than being the first guy left off," he said.

At one point, Shanahan and Blake thought about finding a method that would not single out the final player chosen, maybe by dividing up the last six privately without spelling out who went where.

But other players they floated that idea past weren't buying it.

"The position the players took was, 'Hey, we're at the All-Star game,' " Blake said Thursday, hours after it was announced he had taken a job in the NHL's hockey operations department. "We've all played games like this growing up, and they're having fun with it."

The draft has boosted visibility for an event that many fans avoid because it lacks the physicality that hockey thrives on. Understandably, nobody wants to get hurt in an exhibition game.

But Blake suggested the new format actually could improve the quality of hockey on display.

"You're never going to have the intensity of a Game 7," he said. "But if Nick Lidstrom is picking me and I know I'm going to perform for Nick Lidstrom, that's a lot different than the way it was set up before. I think that'll have a little more of the edge to it."

In the recent past, teams have been set up by conference or by national origin (it was billed as North America vs. The World). Early on, it was a matchup pitting the defending Stanley Cup champions against the best of everybody else.

This year, online voting determined the top six players for the game, and the NHL chose 36 others. Those players in turn selected their captains who, in turn, named two assistants. Everybody else is up for grabs, as the NHL -- as it did successfully with the Winter Classic -- reaches back to hockey's roots.

Some players joked that the current system could go even further by simply putting every player's stick at center ice, then scattering half to one side and half to the other. Find your stick, find your teammates -- just like back on the pond.

Boyle understands the reasoning for the new format -- "Things were getting stale and the draft's getting more hype than anything else" -- even if the hockey at his initial NHL All-Star experience in Montreal in 2009 turned out being more serious than expected.

"The third period was actually pretty good hockey," he said of the game the East won in a shootout, 12-11.

Mock drafts have been held on hockey websites, and Boyle has fared pretty well. In one, for example, he was taken in the ninth round.

"That's respectable," he said.

Boyle is taking a what-will-be-will-be attitude and hasn't tried to lobby either captain, though he may have a sympathetic ear in Staal.

"He and I were alternates at the Olympics in Torino," Boyle said of the 2006 Games where neither player saw action. "We bonded there, so hopefully he'll remember that."

Logan Couture could have something at stake, too, as he's among the 12 rookies participating in Saturday's skills competition and ultimately will be drafted by Lidstrom or Staal as well.

There were reports that more rookies still might be added to Sunday's game as injury replacements. If Couture were to be selected, the last thing he would fret over is his place in the draft.

"If I get the opportunity to play and I'm the last guy taken, I don't really care," he said. "I'd do that to get picked for that game. It doesn't matter to me."

Hockey Tip #1 – master this one and you will be the best player on ice in no time.

The most important hockey tip of all: keep your head up. It is so simple but at the same time so powerful. The truth is you have probably heard this simple tip so many times from your coaches, your teammates, the NHL pros., etc. If you can consistently do it in a game situation – move on to the next tip. If not – keep reading. I want you to repeat this tip to yourself every time you step on ice. Yes, every single time you are on the ice say it: keep your head up, keep your head up… You got the idea. By the way, it doesn’t just apply to hockey, if you play any other team sport – this tip will make wonders for you. So why is it so important? A couple of reasons:

1) to keep you safe. Just watch some hockey highlights tonight. I can guarantee you see several great hits. They look fantastic, effective and often devastating. Sometimes all we can say is “Wow!!!. This guy was really nailed!”. Now wait a second and try to remember what a receiving player was doing just before the hit. Yes, in most cases, he kept his head down. See, even pros make this mistake and they pay for it dearly, sometimes with their careers (remember Scott Stevens hit on Eric Lindros?). Watch it here and don’t make the same mistake.

2) to improve game awareness (by a long shot). Keep your head up and you will know exactly where your teammates and opponents are. You will have a lot more time to react by knowing exactly where the puck is going to be. You will start making better decisions on ice by seeing all the options that are available to you.

Keep your head up and remember what Wayne Gretzky once said: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be”.  Listen to "the Great One", keep your head up and be the best player you can possible be by just using this one simple tip.

Practice makes it perfect – so work on it, no excuses.

To your success,

John

Welcome to my Hockey Tips blog

Hi All,

First of all, thanks for visiting my blog. My name is John and I am a complete hockey fanatic. I love it, it's truly a beautiful game! If you came here to learn a few hockey tips, you are in the right place. I am going to update my blog frequently, so visit it often. I promise to keep it interesting for you.
All the best,