MVP Auston Matthews leads his workforce to NHL All-Star victory

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs made their hometown crowd proud throughout NHL All-Star weekend. And it was capped by an MVP efficiency from none apart from Auston Matthews.

Certainly, the league’s main aim scorer stole the present throughout Saturday’s NHL All-Star Recreation match. He closed a revamped weekend of festivities on the league’s annual showcase by successful the competition’s high honor in Crew Matthews’ 7-4 victory over Crew McDavid within the 3-on-3 finale.

Three of Matthews’ teammates with the Maple Leafs — Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly and William Nylander — had been all a part of Crew Matthews and contributed to the title on their house ice at Scotiabank Enviornment.

“The entire weekend in itself is particular for all of us,” Matthews mentioned. “Particularly the host metropolis and the hometown guys.”

And whereas Matthews owned the highlight, it was Marner — a born-and-raised Torontonian — who discovered the whole expertise notably significant.

“[It was] wonderful,” he mentioned. “I’ve dreamt of being in All-Star video games my complete life. I’ve watched All-Star video games from my sofa, [from] my carpet with my mother and father. Simply watching [Sidney Crosby] and [Jason] Spezza, [Marian] Hossa, Owen Nolan, and the record goes on and on. You at all times dream of being part of one. To have it on this metropolis, it is fairly outstanding and to have the ability to take pleasure in it with those that bought me to the place I’m, it is even higher.”

Marner dented the scoresheet a number of instances throughout his two video games on Saturday, one in all many to take action on a day that featured 4 All-Star rosters — decided by captain alternatives in Thursday evening’s participant draft — icing two preliminary video games. The winners met within the ultimate.

On Thursday, Matthews had assist in the draft from co-captain Rielly and movie star captain Justin Bieber. Colorado Avalanche heart Nathan MacKinnon was joined by co-captain and his teammate in Denver, Cale Makar, and movie star captain Tate McRae, in choosing his squad. Edmonton Oilers heart Connor McDavid was joined by co-captain and teammate Leon Draisaitl together with movie star captain Will Arnett in compiling his membership. And Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes, with co-captains Jack Hughes, his brother and star from the New Jersey Devils, and Elias Pettersson, additionally of the Canucks, plus movie star captain Michael Buble, selected the opposite workforce.

These lineups had been put to the check on Saturday. Crew McDavid defeated Crew MacKinnon 4-3 in a Recreation 1 shootout to advance, later joined by Crew Matthews, after it topped Crew Hughes 6-5, additionally through shootout.

That set the stage for a ultimate headliner by McDavid — the hometown skater and $1 million prize winner from Friday’s expertise competitors — and Matthews, who posted 40 targets for the Maple Leafs earlier than the All-Star break.

And with that sort of star energy, even Rielly needed to admit the stakes had been excessive.

“The one factor that shocked me in any respect was nerves,” he mentioned. “I did not anticipate to get nervous or something like that earlier than the sport. And I feel while you’re in that surroundings round all these elite gamers, I feel I used to be slightly nervous and I did not anticipate that myself.”

Matthews’ workforce bought rolling early, when Arizona Coyotes ahead Clayton Keller blasted a aim previous Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. However that 1-0 lead evaporated when Columbus Blue Jackets star Boone Jenner got here by for Crew McDavid in opposition to New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, making it 1-1.

A flurry of fast targets from there — by Matthews and Marner, countered by Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak and Draisaitl for Crew McDavid — had the lean knotted 3-3 after the primary half.

Nashville Predators star Filip Forsberg struck quick within the second interval, beating Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, giving Crew Matthews a 4-3 lead. The captain added some insurance coverage for his membership off a blistering one-timer to make it 5-3 for Crew Matthews with 5 minutes to go in regulation.

Detroit Purple Wings ahead Alex DeBrincat prolonged the Crew Matthews lead earlier than a response by San Jose Sharks star Tomas Hertl put Crew McDavid inside putting distance. It was New York Islanders ahead Mathew Barzal’s aim with simply over a minute left that sealed Crew Matthews’ win.

“It was good to cap it off with a win, and everyone goes house completely happy,” Matthews mentioned. “We wished to win, for certain. Speaking within the locker room, I do not assume there was a lot messing round. Everyone was on the identical web page to attempt to go on the market and put in a reasonably good effort and attempt to come out with consequence.”

And in doing so, the gamers displayed the parity — and pleasure — the NHL hoped to recapture at its All-Star Recreation when bringing again the participant draft, which final ran in 2015.

“In entrance of the hometown followers,” Marner mentioned, “we wished to offer them a present.”

The NHL will resume its regular-season schedule on Tuesday.