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• A series of rapid goals were scored by Matthews and Marner, followed by Boston Bruins’ Pastrnak and Draisaitl for Team McDavid, resulting in a tied score of 3-3 at the halfway mark.

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  Kristen Shilton is a reporter for ESPN who covers the NHL on a national level.

Matthews’ fellow players on the Maple Leafs, including Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, and William Nylander, were also on Team Matthews and helped secure the championship.

The top goal scorer in the league was the star of Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game tournament, delivering an MVP performance and bringing an end to a revitalized weekend of celebrations at the league’s yearly event.

Reporter Kristen Shilton from ESPN covering the NHL.Feb 3, 2024, 07:16 PM ET
By doing this, the players demonstrated the equality and enthusiasm that the NHL aimed to revive at its All-Star Game by reintroducing the player draft, which was last used in 2015.

Although Matthews was the center of attention, Marner, a native of Toronto, found the entire experience to be especially significant.

“We aimed to put on a great performance for our hometown supporters,” Marner stated.

Matthews’ team defeated McDavid’s team 7-4 in the 3-on-3 final, bringing joy to the Scotiabank Arena crowd as they left.

Matthews expressed satisfaction with ending the day on a positive note, leading to a happy group of individuals going their separate ways. The team’s goal was to secure a victory, and there were serious discussions in the locker room prior to the match. Everyone was focused on working together and giving their all to achieve a favorable outcome.

Matthews expressed that the entire weekend holds significance for everyone, particularly for the host city and local players.

Alex DeBrincat, a forward for the Detroit Red Wings, increased Team Matthews’ lead. However, San Jose Sharks’ standout player Tomas Hertl scored a goal for Team McDavid, bringing them closer to victory. In the end, it was Mathew Barzal, a forward for the New York Islanders, who scored the final goal with a little over a minute remaining, securing the win for Team Matthews.

On Saturday, Marner contributed to the scoresheet multiple times in the two games he played. This was a common occurrence on a day where four All-Star teams were formed through a player draft on Thursday night. These teams played two preliminary games, with the winning teams facing each other in the final.

Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes scored a powerful goal against Sergei Bobrovsky, the goaltender for the Florida Panthers. However, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top player, Boone Jenner, tied the game 1-1 for Team McDavid against Igor Shesterkin, the goaltender for the New York Rangers.

Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators scored quickly in the second period against Winnipeg Jets’ goalie Connor Hellebuyck, putting Team Matthews ahead 4-3. The team’s captain then secured some extra security with a powerful one-timer, extending the lead to 5-3 with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Matthews received assistance during the draft from his co-captain Rielly and special guest captain Justin Bieber on Thursday. Colorado Avalanche’s center Nathan MacKinnon was accompanied by his teammate and co-captain Cale Makar, as well as celebrity captain Tate McRae, in selecting his team. Edmonton Oilers’ center Connor McDavid was joined by his teammate and co-captain Leon Draisaitl, along with celebrity captain Will Arnett, in forming his squad. Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes, along with co-captains Jack Hughes (his brother and star player from the New Jersey Devils) and Elias Pettersson (also of the Canucks), and celebrity captain Michael Buble, made their picks for the opposing team.

During the NHL All-Star weekend, the Maple Leafs represented their hometown of Toronto and received praise from their local fans. The standout player of the event was none other than Auston Matthews, who was named MVP.

The National Hockey League will continue with its normal season schedule on Tuesday.”(It was) amazing,” he said. “I’ve dreamt of being in All-Star games my whole life. I’ve watched All-Star games from my couch, (from) my carpet with my parents. Just watching (Sidney Crosby) and (Jason) Spezza, (Marian) Hossa, Owen Nolan, and the list goes on and on. You always dream of being a part of one. To have it in this city, it’s pretty remarkable and to be able to enjoy it with the ones that got me to where I am, it’s even better.”