Detroit rookie skates fastest lap at NHL skills competition

Team Central: Boasting the three top scorers in the league – Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin – there’s a lot of fire power in this group. “It’s going to make for more goals, more opportunities on net”.

Larkin easily beat Predators defenseman Roman Josi on the first lap of the first event Saturday night at the National Hockey League skills competition at 12.894 seconds.

I’ve spent some time thinking about it, consulted some players and I’m getting closer to figuring out what I’m going to do.

What took the cake, in my opinion, was the antics of Subban.

Subban wore a long black wig and Jagr jersey as he scored in the breakaway challenge – and then delivered a trademark Jagr salute.

They came. They shot pucks hard.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty hopes to see it at Staples Center next year, in part because the Kings have thrived on it this season with a 7-1 record in three-on-three play. “First five years we were an expansion team”. Maybe one day we’ll see it again, but that window is closing quickly.

“It’s more hockey, so I won’t get a break but it’ll be a good time”, Larkin said. I understand the point of it, but man it has to be the most boring event in the entire Skills Competition. “But who really knows what’s going to happen?”

This event has been the same for almost two decades with no change in it whatsoever.

Two high-profile players were selected but withdrew because of injuries, fewer than have bailed out in recent seasons. Subban failed to score after bouncing the puck off his stick and then kicking it off his right foot.

The 19-year-old forward leads the Red Wings with 15 goals and shares the team lead in points at 33 with Zetterberg and while people might be expecting the kid to hit the proverbial wall anytime soon, Larkin isn’t at all concerned about it, pointing out he played 90 games two seasons ago.

At Saturday’s All-Star Game skills competition, Dylan Larkin broke Mike Gartner’s record for fastest full-rink skate.

Before Kane could participate in the evening’s festivities, though, he was heavily booed when his name was announced. He loved it and the crowd loved him. It’s fun playing against him, but it’s also fun playing on the same side as him, too. The way they treated him during the different competitions was just awesome, especially during the Hardest Shot competition. Standing ovations for the embattled John Scott. “I got to spend some time with family”. He just seems like such a down-to-earth and nice guy.

Gill will join fellow country music singers Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley and Chris Young as celebrity coaches.

“I don’t do a lot of stuff, but I think I did my stuff well”, Tarasenko said. But by swinging way to the other end of the spectrum and delivering a game in which nobody gets even gently bumped, delivers a piece of entertainment so divergent from what this sport is all about that it just invites criticism. If we lose, I can go home directly.