Metropolitan defeats Central to win 2022 NHL All-Star Game

LAS VEGAS -- Claude Giroux capped a special weekend with his wife and son by scoring two goals in the final to help the Metropolitan Division win the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game, 5-3 against the Central Division at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

Giroux, the Philadelphia Flyers captain, was named Most Valuable Player.
"We had a blast today, everybody was having a good time," the forward said. "Guys were yelling to play defense and win battles and block shots. We just had fun."

It's the third time the Metropolitan has won the All-Star Game since the 3-on-3 format was established in 2016. It also won in 2017 and 2019.
The Metropolitan defeated the Pacific Division 6-4 in the first semifinal to reach the final. The Central defeated the Atlantic 8-5 in the second semifinal.
The Metropolitan Division players split a $1 million prize.
"It was a ton of fun," Metropolitan forward Chris Kreider said. "With the last couple of years because of the COVID stuff, normally you're able to see guys potentially on the road that you might have played with or known and haven't really been able to do that. So to have this in the middle of the season to catch up with some guys it's a breath of fresh air."
Giroux, the Metropolitan Division captain, scored his second of the game and third goal of the day from the slot at 2:42 to give it a 5-3 lead. He also had a goal and an assist in the semifinal against the Pacific.
Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist in the final after scoring two goals in the semifinal. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Kreider also scored for the Metropolitan.
"I had a great time and my family enjoyed it," Hughes said. "A lot of friends and family were texting me and just telling me how excited they were that I was here. At the end of the day, it was nice that I scored, but just a special weekend."
Clayton Keller, Joe Pavelski and Nazem Kadri scored for the Central, which has never won the All-Star Game in the 3-on-3 format.
"I felt like I enjoyed it more this time," said Keller, the Arizona Coyotes forward who also played in the 2019 All-Star Game in San Jose. "It was super fun and great to be here for the second time."

Keller was one of several players who said the competitive level rose significantly in the final, especially in the second period, from what it was in the first two games.
"Guys just wanted to win," Giroux said. "Kuznetsov was like, 'I'm going to be the hardest working guy out there.' I've never seen him work so hard for face-offs before, even when I play against him in the regular season. We were having fun with it by just working hard."
Kreider said there were board battles and some physicality in the second game.
Alex DeBrincat mentioned how the Metropolitan players packed it in defensively in the second period.
"They were shutting it down pretty good," the Chicago Blackhawks forward said. "They had guys back all the time. Our first game was all breakaway, breakaway. We ran into some trouble there."
Kuznetsov put the Metropolitan ahead 1-0 with a far-side wrist shot from the right circle 27 seconds into the first period.
He also set up teammate Tom Wilson for a goal 13 seconds into the first period of the semifinal.
"He came out and said they were going to score the first shift and did," Metropolitan coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "He said he was going to do it again the next game, and he did. That's pretty impressive to call your own shot. He worked hard. He was chirping on the guys in a light way. We had a good mix."
Keller tied it 1-1 from below the left circle at 1:38, but Giroux gave the Metropolitan the lead back, 2-1, with a one-timer went in off Cale Makar at 3:33.
The lead extended to 3-1 on Kreider's redirection goal off a pass from Hughes at 4:50.
"I was giving him a hard time because I was screening a couple times and he wouldn't shoot the puck," Kreider said of Hughes. "He's a great kid. So skilled, unbelievable skater and he has a ton of energy. He's a lot of fun to be around. Great catching up with him. That's a big part of what this event is about."
The Central got it to within one again when Kadri scored from between the circles to make it 3-2 at 5:27. But Hughes scored on a breakaway at 7:55 to give the Metropolitan a 4-2 lead.
Pavelski scored 1:19 into the second period, cutting the Metropolitan lead to 4-3. Giroux scored 1:23 later to make it 5-3.
DeBrincat thought he cut the lead to one goal at 8:15, but video review determined the Central was offside.
"I kind of knew I was offside," DeBrincat said. "I was hoping they didn't review it."
Brind'Amour said the review came from NHL Hockey Operations. There were no coach's challenges.
"It was a great weekend," Giroux said.