McDavid, Gaudreau among winners at All-Star Skills Competition
The NHL's finest tested their skills on Friday night, leaving fans hungry for Saturday's main event. Here's a look at the result of each contest.
Fastest Skater
Kendall Coyne kicked off the evening in historic fashion, becoming the first woman to compete in the All-Star Skills Competition. The U.S. women's national team forward clocked in at 14.346 seconds in the Fastest Skater event, beating Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller.
“This is definitely a top three moment in my career,” she told TSN's Frank Seravalli.
Connor McDavid, however, registered a time of 13.378 to clinch his third straight victory in the event.
Puck Control
The man they call "Johnny Hockey" lived up to his nickname, putting his silky hands on display. Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau dazzled the crowd with a winning time of 27.045 seconds in Puck Control, winning the event for a second straight time. Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane wasn't far behind at 28.61 seconds, and he stayed rather humble in defeat.
"I felt there was someone out there that would beat me," Kane said. "I messed up on the first stickhanding part and it probably cost me a second."
"He's unreal," Kane said of Gaudreau. "So good. Just naturally gifted."
Save Streak
New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 12 consecutive attempts to be crowned this year's champion in the event. The Tampa Bay Lightnings' Andrei Vasilevskiy made it interesting, stopping eight straight shots, and last year's winner Marc-Andre Fleury stopped six. At 36 years and 329 days old, Lundqvist is the oldest player selected to the 2019 All-Star Game.
It was all fun and games for him until the Buffalo Sabres' Jeff Skinner stepped up to end the streak in style.
Premier Passer
With 166 assists so far in his young career, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl showcased his passing ability, taking home the title in the Premier Passer event.
The 6-foot-2 German was lights out with the puck, beating the next best competitor by nearly 10 seconds. Draisaitl will play in his first All-Star Game on Saturday night.
Hardest Shot
Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson may get a few more power-play passes from teammate Alex Ovechkin after winning Friday night's Hardest Shot contest.
Carlson's shot clocked in at 102.8 mph. Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara currently holds the record for the hardest shot with his 108.8 mph registered in 2012.
Accuracy Shooting
It took Bruins forward David Pastrnak just 11.309 seconds to snipe his way to victory in the Accuracy Shooting event.
The sharpshooter needed only eight attempts to hit the five targets. One of the league's purest goal-scorers, Pastrnak has a team-leading 27 goals this season, and he's on pace for his third consecutive 30-plus goal season.