Atlantic defeats Metropolitan in 2nd 2023 NHL All-Star Game semifinal

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Matthew Tkachuk had three goals and two assists, and brother Brady Tkachuk had a goal and three assists to lead the Atlantic Division to a 10-6 victory against the Metropolitan Division in the second semifinal of the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game at FLA Live Arena on Saturday.

The Atlantic advanced to face the Central Division in the final. The Central defeated the Pacific Division 6-4 in the first semifinal.

Dylan Larkin had two goals and an assist, and Aleksander Barkov and Mitch Marner each had three assists for the Atlantic.

Johnny Gaudreau scored three goals, and Artemi Panarin had three assists for the Metropolitan.

Sidney Crosby (two goals, one assist) and Alex Ovechkin (goal, two assists) also had three points each for the Metropolitan.

Matthew Tkachuk delighted the home crowd 36 seconds into the game by scoring a breakaway on an assist from Florida Panthers teammate Barkov to give the Atlantic a 1-0 lead.

Larkin made it 2-0 with a shot from below the goal line to the right of the net that slipped past Igor Shesterkin at the near post at 4:08.

Panarin set up Gaudreau for a goal from outside the left side of the crease that pulled the Metropolitan within 2-1 at 5:20. Gaudreau stuck again 20 seconds later to tie it at 2-2 with a shot from the right side that went in off Linus Ullmark's glove.

Crosby finished a feed from Ovechkin on a 2-on-0 to give the Metropolitan a 3-2 lead at 6:19, but Brady Tkachuk knocked in his own rebound in front to tie it at 3-3 at 6:59.

Nick Suzuki put the Atlantic ahead 4-3 from the left face-off circle with 2:05 left in the period.

Gaudreau scored his third of the game 25 seconds into the second period to tie it 4-4.

Ovechkin set up Crosby on another 2-on-0 to give the Metropolitan a 5-4 lead at 1:58, and Ovehckin made it 6-4 from the left circle at 2:21.

Matthew Tkachuk lifted home a backhand in front to pull the Atlantic within 6-5 at 3:49 before Nikita Kucherov tied it 6-6 at 4:31 with a shot from outside the right post.

David Pastrnak set up Suzuki at the left post for a goal that gave the Atlantic a 7-6 lead at 5:51.

Matthew Tkachuk scored on a breakaway to complete his hat trick and make it 8-6 with 3:11 left. Larkin's empty-net goal with 1:00 left made it 9-6.

Pastrnak scored on a breakaway with 13 seconds left to make it 10-6.

Ullmark made three saves on six shots before being replaced by Andrei Vasilevskiy (10 saves) to start the second.

Shesterkin stopped five of nine shots through one period before Ilya Sorokin (eight saves) replaced him.