Team Lidstrom Wins All Star Game

[mugatu471]

11-10.

Lidstrom was a +7 which is just ridiculous, all star game or not.

[howethegreat]

probably the best all star game of all sports this year.

[flemingc04]

Compared to the past, I thought tonight's game was more exciting. 5 players scored 2 goals and Kopitar scored a nice one on Ward to give Team Lidstrom their first of the game.


I thought Staal was pretty entertaining with his live commentary. His best was talking down the bench to a teammate; "Hey, tell your partner to play a little defence between the two of you. What are you guys, -4? Like, come on!"

[CrosbyIsKing]

11-10.

Lidstrom was a +7 which is just ridiculous, all star game or not.

yea on paper it's ridiculous, but doesn't mean anything. its the all star game, any stat is meaningless.

[Craig2]

probably the best all star game of all sports this year.

I don't see how it's any better than the lousy Pro Bowl today, or the upcoming scorefest that is the NBA All-Star game. All three of those games feature no defense, and players who don't give anything close to their all.

The best all-star game in pro sports, by far, is that of baseball. It actually means something with home-field advantage tied to it, and the players actually try their best. You're not going to see Derek Jeter decide not to chase a grounder to his left because he doesn't feel like playing defense, or Mariano Rivera deciding to throw hit cutter at 70 mph.......the players actually care about the game.

[soccer1072]

Hey, just a kind rant, next time, can you not put in the title who won the game?
Instead, can you just say "All Star Game thread". I just got home and am watching the game, and now that I know who won, I am kinda ticked off .
Again, its not just you, just SCF threads in general.
Thanks

[Wickabee]

I don't see how it's any better than the lousy Pro Bowl today, or the upcoming scorefest that is the NBA All-Star game. All three of those games feature no defense, and players who don't give anything close to their all.

The best all-star game in pro sports, by far, is that of baseball. It actually means something with home-field advantage tied to it, and the players actually try their best. You're not going to see Derek Jeter decide not to chase a grounder to his left because he doesn't feel like playing defense, or Mariano Rivera deciding to throw hit cutter at 70 mph.......the players actually care about the game.

Is it so bad to see one fun game a year. We buy the competitiveness to fans all season long and talk about how lousy the All-Star Game is because it's not good, hard, competitive hockey. Then we turn around and wonder why coaches, parents and kids have a "win at all cost" attitude. Does this not seem stupid?
I'm glad to see at least one game a year that can remind everyone that hockey is a game and games are meant to be fun.

[Craig2]

Is it so bad to see one fun game a year. We buy the competitiveness to fans all season long and talk about how lousy the All-Star Game is because it's not good, hard, competitive hockey. Then we turn around and wonder why coaches, parents and kids have a "win at all cost" attitude. Does this not seem stupid?
I'm glad to see at least one game a year that can remind everyone that hockey is a game and games are meant to be fun.

I guess it depends on perspective. What you call fun, I call deadly boring. I'm not advocating a win at all costs mentality where I expect a hard-fought 2-1 win, but the current format is just not exciting to me as a fan.

I get your point about fun, I just don't find that kind of game fun. And if the event is meant to be a showcase and possibly attract new fans, then I'm not sure what message is being delivered to that group.

[NastyPatches]

I'm with Craig on this one. 3/4 all-star games are boring. Baseball is the only one I will watch. I guess its the actual competitiveness that makes me watch the games. I can go watch shinny at the local rink 7 days a week if I wanted it too. I used to enjoy the skills a lot more when I was younger as well. It is still better than the game itself but has lost some of the flare for me.

[Wickabee]

It's not so much the actual game itself, but the idea that professionals who sacrifice real lives in order to make ridiculous amounts of money entertaining us for 10 months a year can still have fun themselves instead of, essentially, just working at a job.
I dunno, don't get me wrong, the game is boring to watch as a fan of good hockey. With that said, there are some amazing plays made, some incredible saves and overall it's nice to see every player on the ice and on the benches with huge smiles on their faces, probably as they did at age 10 playing on a pond or in a local rink with friends and siblings. It just seems to me to be a great reminder for parents, coaches and, most of all, kids that even the fiercest competitors who have reached the absolute pinnacle of the sport still remember how to have fun playing it, and maybe we all should too.
In the end, I think it does more to soften the "big ugly hockey player" stereotype that does still exist among multitudes of non-fans and shows those who may pay a little attention that this is a game meant, first and foremost, to be played for fun. It's more for selling the game and the league on non-fans. It's an add that doesn't wholely represent what it's all about, but does showcase the best of the best. If doing that means sitting through one boring game and one (ultimately) meaningless weekend, I'm all for it.
To sum it up, thumbs up for reminding those involved with hockey that winning isn't always everything, and hopefully new fans will be borne from seeing that it's not just a bloodbath on ice.