PITTSBURGH – Flashes of brilliance have defined Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin's career, but this season, consistency has been the key to his success.

Entering his 10th NHL season, Malkin was known for going on lengthy stretches of dominance that even Penguins captain Sidney Crosby could not reach. Those were counterbalanced by equally lengthy droughts, however, framing Malkin as one of the League's most dangerous, but streaky, players.

Things have changed in 2015-16. As a result, Malkin is Pittsburgh's lone forward heading to the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville.

"I think he's been one of our more consistent players," coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's a threat most nights. … He certainly generates a ton of offensive chances for his line and the people he's on the ice with. He's a big part of this team. I think all of our top guys understand the importance that they bring to the table to help us win, and when we have them all going, I think we're a dangerous team."

The NHL game has undergone massive changes over the course of the past 15-plus years.

The removal of the red line in 2005 immediately made the game faster than ever before. The speed has seemingly increased with each passing season because the players are bigger and stronger. The sophistication in their offseason and in-season training is at a new level because of the advancements in technology.

The addition of the salary cap has ushered in an era of unrivaled parity.

Through it all, the NHL has grown in size and popularity, both at home and abroad, aided by the greatness of two players, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, who have become the faces of a new generation of hockey stars.

WASHINGTON -- Forward Alex Ovechkin will miss the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports) because of a lower-body injury, the Washington Capitals said Wednesday.

"This was a hard decision but we talk about it, coaching staff, trainers, and we tried to battle through it. But it's stayed the same," Ovechkin said after Washington's 4-3 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Verizon Center. "I have to get ready for the rest of the year, get healthy, and I think we have a good chance to have success and I want to be a part of it. I don't want to miss important things."

Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was named Thursday to replace Ovechkin.

Ovechkin said the injury has been nagging him for most of the season but he had hoped it would get better. When it didn't, the decision was made to preserve Ovechkin's long-term health in anticipation of a long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane has said he used to watch in amazement as Jaromir Jagr dominated the NHL with his size, stick work and patience. Jagr, a right wing with the Florida Panthers, has mentioned how he loves to watch Kane because of how intelligently he attacks opponents with his hands, skill and, yes, patience.

Brett Hull, the next player Jagr should pass on the NHL all-time goal scoring list -- Jagr has 737 goals, four shy of Hull's 741 -- said he wonders why more people haven't drawn a comparison between Jagr and Kane because they are more alike than they may seem.

Jagr, 43, is 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, and will be the captain for the Atlantic Division in the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Sunday. Kane, 27, is 5-11 and 177 pounds, and will be the Central Division captain at the All-Star Game.

Hull told NHL.com that size doesn't matter in his comparison because Jagr and Kane attack defenses the same way.

The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville on Jan. 31 is less than a week away. In the lead-up to All-Star Weekend at Bridgestone Arena, NHL.com sat down with a host of this season's participants to talk about playing in the game. In this edition, defenseman Brent Burns discusses representing the San Jose Sharks in the All-Star Game.

1. What does being an All-Star mean to you personally?

It's a huge honor. I've said it before, to represent your team and the League at an event like this, it's always great.

2. What is your favorite memory from previous All-Star Games?

For me, I think it's the special moment I've had with my kids on the ice, both of them. In Carolina with my daughter, last year in Columbus, my daughter and my son. I think these events are really just great things for the family, to get the cool picture out there with my kids. My kids are getting to the age where they know it's a pretty cool event. It's just great. To have my dad and my father-in-law there. It's just really fun.

The NHL truly went global in the 1990s.

The end of the Cold War opened up a new well of talent for the League, with players most notably from Russia and the former Czechoslovakia suddenly free to come to North America and test their skills against the best in the world.

The decade began with the Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming Jaromir Jagr, an 18-year-old Czech, in 1990-91. He would go on to become the top scorer of the 1990s and one of the greatest players of all time.

In that same season, Sergei Fedorov began his career with the Detroit Red Wings and Dominik Hasek became the backup goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks, part of a wave of Eastern Bloc players who joined those who defected in prior years, setting off a period of drastic demographic change in the NHL.

If the NHL proved anything in the 1980s, it was scoring goals was a heck of a lot easier than preventing them.

It not only was a period when the mullet, Pac-Man fever, Rubik's Cube and Hulkamania were running wild, but also a time when most of the major NHL scoring records were being established at an incredible rate.

The biggest reason for that was the NHL expansion from 17 to 21 teams with the absorption of former World Hockey Association teams in Edmonton, Hartford, Winnipeg and Quebec, beginning in 1979-80, when NHL fans got their first good look at "The Great One," Wayne Gretzky.

The Edmonton Oilers center scored a League-record 92 goals in 1981-82. He opened the 1983-84 season by getting at least one point in Edmonton's first 51 games, and either scored or assisted on 215 of Edmonton's 426 goals in 1985-86.

The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville on Jan. 31 is less than a week away. In the lead-up to All-Star Weekend at Bridgestone Arena, NHL.com sat down with a host of this season's participants to talk about playing in the game. In this edition, defenseman Justin Faulk discusses representing the Carolina Hurricanes in the All-Star Game.

1. What does being an All-Star mean to you?

It's a great honor to be included in the group of players going to the game. It's nice. Obviously I couldn't really be doing this without the help from all my teammates. Like I said, it's just an honor to be among the group that is going to be there. It's going to be a fun event.

2. What is your favorite memory from previous All-Star Games?

I just think the whole weekend. There is not really one thing that sticks out more than the others. I've been lucky enough to have some friends and family hook up with me and enjoy the experience as well. Overall, it has just been a real good experience.

NEW YORK – Hockey fans will get their first glimpse of the 2016 Honda NHL® All-Star festivities in Nashville with NHL All-Star Friday Night: Live in Music City, a primetime television special featuring live roundtable discussions with NHL All-Star players, performances from top country music stars and a few surprises. Hosted by Kimberly Perry, lead singer of the Grammy Award and CMA Award-winning group The Band Perry, and NHL broadcaster Kathryn Tappen, the one-hour telecast will broadcast live from the Honda Stage at Bridgestone Winter Park in downtown Nashville on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada.

With the NHL All-Star takeover of downtown Nashville as the backdrop, the primetime special will feature performances from Aaron Lewis, Kristian Bush, Big & Rich, John Hiatt and Lee Brice from the outdoor Honda Stage at Bridgestone Winter Park in the heart of downtown Nashville. The broadcast also will feature interviews and appearances from NHL All-Star players Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames, Roman Josi, Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators, Brandon Saad of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens and more. Country music legend and Honda NHL All-Star Game celebrity coach Vince Gill and Josi will give viewers a tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory.

NEW YORK – The National Hockey League today announced the details of the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the format of the six events that will showcase hockey's top talent on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT on NBCSN in the U.S. and on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.

Fan-elected captains, Jaromir Jagr and Alex Ovechkin for the Eastern Conference, and Patrick Kane and John Scott for the Western Conference, will lead the team selection process to determine which players will participate in the six Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition events. Each of the 44 All-Stars will compete in at least one of the six rounds of skill-based contests.