NHL Short Notes

HERTL, DRAISAITL LEAD PACIFIC DIVISION TO ALL-STAR WIN
After each netting a hat trick in their semifinal game against the Central Division, Leon Draisaitl (4-2—6 in 2 GP) and Tomas Hertl (5-0—5 in 2 GP) both scored again in the final to propel the Pacific Division to its third All-Star Game title under the 3-on-3 format – the most of any division.

* Hertl (4-0—4) scored four times in the semifinal – the most goals ever scored in a single contest under the 3-on-3 All-Star format. He has one career four-goal outing in the regular season when he posted 4-0—4 in his third career NHL game on Oct. 8, 2013 vs. NYR.

* After Draisaitl was held off the scoresheet in his first All-Star appearance in 2019, the NHL’s second-leading scorer in the regular season (27-48—75 in 49 GP) was a force in 2020 registering four points in the semifinal (3-1—4) and another multi-point performance in the final (1-1—2).

* Playing in his hometown of St. Louis, where his father Keith Tkachuk skated 523 regular-season games over nine seasons for the Blues, Matthew Tkachuk recorded 2-4—6 over the two games to thrill family and friends in attendance.

* Mark Giordano (2016 and 2020), Anze Kopitar (2018 and 2020) and Connor McDavid (2018 and 2020) all became multiple tournament winners under the 3-on-3 format. They joined Brent Burns (2016 and 2018), Drew Doughty (2016 and 2018) and Johnny Gaudreau (2016 and 2018) as players who have won multiple times with the Pacific Division.

* McDavid’s assist on Hertl’s game-winning goal boosted is career totals in 3-on-3 All-Star competition to 2-11—13 in 7 GP to pass Sidney Crosby (6-6—12 in 5 GP) for the most ever under the current format.

* Quinn Hughes recorded 1-3—4 for the Pacific Division in their semifinal game to become the second rookie defenseman ever to score in an NHL All-Star Game, joining Islanders legend Denis Potvin (1974 All-Star Game). He added two assists in the final – his five assists led all skaters in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.

PASTRNAK NAMED ALL-STAR MVP
Atlantic Division captain David Pastrnak, who leads all NHL skaters with 37 goals in 2019-20, opened the 2020 All-Star Game with a hat trick in the first semifinal contest (3-1—4) and then added 1-1—2 in the final game to capture All-Star MVP honors.

* Pastrnak became the first player from the Czech Republic to be named All-Star MVP and the fourth European player joining Marian Gaborik (2012), Alex Kovalev (2009), Pavel Bure (2000) and Teemu Selanne (1998). Additionally, he became the fourth Bruins player awarded the honor.

HATS OFF TO 2020 ALL-STARS
Players in the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game combined for four hat tricks across three games – doubling the total in 12 previous contests under the 3-on-3 All-Star format (Nikita Kucherov in 2018 semifinal and Gabriel Landeskog in 2019 semifinal).

* For the first time in the 3-on-3 All-Star format, two players on one team each recorded a hat trick in the same game when the Atlantic Division’s David Pastrnak (3-1—4) and Anthony Duclair (3-1—4) both did so in the first semifinal. Not to be outdone, the Pacific Division’s Tomas Hertl (4-0—4) and Leon Draisaitl (3-1—4) also accomplished the feat in their semifinal win over the Central Division.

SCENES FROM ALL-STAR

* Laila Andersonintroduced the four Blues All-Star representatives with passion and flair.

* Jon Hamm (Metropolitan Division), Jenna Fischer (Atlantic Division), Brett Hull (Central Division) and Wayne Gretzky (Pacific Division) all took turns behind the bench as All-Star Honorary Captains.

* Green Day opened Saturday’s festivities with a pre-game outdoor concert in front of an estimated 15,000 fans outside Enterprise Center and then thrilled fans inside the arena before the final game.