Could this be the year? The SHL’s Eastern Division squad came into Wednesday’s third annual SHL All-Star Game hungry for revenge. In last season’s game, the West humiliated the East in a 9-2 rout. The West has always been considered the league’s stronger division, but the East has slowly been improving. The Quebec Tigres took the eventual champion Anchorage Igloos to seven games in last year’s finals. Eastern teams have been much more competitive in this season’s interdivision games. With a raucous and rowdy home crowd behind them at the New York Night’s Neon Sky Center, the East hoped that the third time would be the charm.
Instead, the rule of threes worked against the East, as the West scored three goals in the game’s first three minutes, and wound up winning by three, 5-2, continuing their unbeaten All-Star streak.
“I think we’re all getting pretty sick of those bastards,” said Hamilton Pistols LW Steven Alexander, who was held scoreless in the game. “We’ve got to win one of these.”
The Big Apple crowd definitely made its presence felt, even during the introductions. They cheered loudly for the four Night players who made the Eastern squad, while booing each of the Western players with remarkable vigor. They also booed their loathed rival Alexander, who responded by blowing kisses to the crowd, and Washington Galaxy C Eddie Costello, who won a slot that the Night’s fans felt should have gone to their own Brock Manning.
“One thing about the New York fans: you always know where you stand,” joked Anchorage’s Sam Castor, who coached the Western team.
Once the game started, though, the West wasted no time asserting control of the contest. Just 71 seconds into the game, Saskatchewan Shockers D Wyatt Barnes redirected a shot from teammate Elliott Rafferty into the top-left corner of the net to put the West on the board. Just over a minute later, Igloos LW Jerry Koons and RW Nicklas Ericsson got loose on a 2-on-1 rush, and Koons finished with a shot through the five-hole to make it 2-0. 35 seconds after that, Seattle Sailors RW Vince Mango fired a slapshot that beat Eastern goalie Jesse Clarkson on the glove side for the West’s third tally.
“They really came out firing,” said Clarkson after the game. “My head was just spinning trying to keep up.”
East coach Martin Delorme considered lifting Clarkson after the initial onslaught, but did not want to embarrass the netminder in front of his home fans. He did wind up relieving the starter after the first period, however.
The East’s backup netminder was Hamilton’s Lasse Koskinen, who started last year’s game but was removed after being rocked for five goals in the first period. He admitted afterward that he’d celebrated a bit too hard in the run-up to the game. He was much more solid this time around. Michigan Gray Wolves D “Mad Max” Madison greeted him with a screened blast from the blue line that found the twine 55 seconds into the period. After that, Koskinen stopped all but one of the 25 shots he faced the rest of the way. A deflection from Igloos C Jake Frost later in the second was the only other blemish on his record.
“I feel I made up for myself this time,” said Koskinen. “Not as much parties, not as much stay out late.”
Unfortunately for the East, any hope of a comeback was stymied by Michigan’s Dirk “The Bear” Lundquist, who smothered everyone of the 34 shots he faced over two periods. Even the East-favoring crowd gave Lundquist a standing ovation when he came up with a sprawling stop on a breakaway attempt by the Night’s Rick “The Stick” Nelson late in the first period.
“Lundquist is just a force of nature,” said Castor. “Nothing puts that guy off his game.”
Lundquist’s brilliance earned him the All-Star MVP honors, the first time a goalie has received the award. “When you consider the fact that the whole game is basically defense-optional,” said Barnes, “you’re that much more impressed about what The Bear did.”
Along with the award, Lundquist received a brand-new Kia Telluride SUV. “Wow, this is a big one,” said the Wolves goalie. “You could fit a whole kid’s hockey team in there. But I have no kids, so I can put all of my fishing gear in it.”
The East did manage to break the shutout in the third period, scoring twice against the Western backup, Anchorage’s Ty Worthington. Hershey Bliss RW Christopher Hart struck first, beating Worthington through the five-hole about five and a half minutes into the period. A minute and a half later, New York’s Chase Winchester scored on a wraparound that snuck past Worthington’s pad, touching off the largest cheer of the night, as the crowd saluted one of its own.
“We managed to save a little pride,” said Winchester. “But that’s no substitute for actually winning. Next year, it’s ours.”
If so, the East will need to win on the road; next year’s game is at Heartland Telecom Center in Kansas City.
SHL All Star Game
West All Stars @ East All Stars, Neon Sky Center
1 2 3 OT F
West All Stars 3 2 0 5
East All Stars 0 0 2 2
East All Stars G A PTS PIM +/- West All Stars G A PTS PIM +/-
Alexander LW 0 0 0 0 -2 Koons LW 1 1 2 0 2
Sanchez D 0 0 0 0 -2 Kronstein D 0 0 0 0 2
Frye C 0 0 0 0 -2 Frost C 1 1 2 0 2
Milton D 0 0 0 0 -2 Madison D 1 1 2 0 2
Nelson RW 0 0 0 0 -2 Ericsson RW 0 1 1 0 2
Winchester LW 1 0 1 0 0 Collins LW 0 0 0 0 0
Mulligan D 0 0 0 0 -2 Barnes D 1 0 1 0 2
Beauchesne C 0 0 0 0 0 Beasley C 0 1 1 0 0
Risch D 0 0 0 0 -2 Pomfret D 0 0 0 0 2
Lafayette RW 0 1 1 0 0 Mango RW 1 0 1 0 0
Camernitz LW 0 0 0 0 -1 Airston LW 0 2 2 0 1
Aubin D 0 0 0 0 1 Chouinard D 0 0 0 0 -1
Costello C 0 1 1 0 -1 Rafferty C 0 2 2 0 1
Workman D 0 2 2 0 1 Fairwood D 0 1 1 0 -1
Hart RW 1 0 1 0 -1 Merula RW 0 0 0 0 1
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
TOTALS 2 4 6 0 -3 TOTALS 5 10 15 0 3
Scratches:
WAS: none
EAS: none
East All Stars SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Clarkson 18 15 3 0.833
Koskinen 26 24 2 0.923
West All Stars SH SV G Sv%
----------------------------------------
Lundquist 34 34 0 1.000
Worthington 18 16 2 0.889
First Period
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GOALS:
01:11 WAS Barnes (Rafferty, Airston)
02:24 WAS Koons (Ericsson, Frost)
02:59 WAS Mango (Beasley, Madison)
PENALTIES:
None
Second Period
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GOALS:
00:55 WAS Madison (Rafferty, Airston)
14:28 WAS Frost (Koons, Fairwood)
PENALTIES:
None
Third Period
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GOALS:
05:35 EAS Hart (Workman, Costello)
07:03 EAS Winchester (Lafayette, Workman)
PENALTIES:
None
SHOTS
------
1 2 3 OT F
West All Stars 18 13 13 44
East All Stars 18 16 18 52
POWER PLAYS
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West All Stars 0 for 0
East All Stars 0 for 0
INJURIES
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None
SHL Hockey 