The NHL SuperSkills competition is over. Anze Kopitar participated in the “breakaway challenge,” which was essentially a trick-shot competition. The winner was determined by fan text-messaging voting, and Kopitar finished fourth of six, with 12.5 percent of the vote. Kopitar also participated in the hardest-shot competition, and topped out at 94.5 miles per hour, which ranked him 10th of 12. Overall, Team Staal beat Team Lidstrom (which included Kopitar) by a margin of 33-22. Here’s how the individual competitions went…
Fastest skater: Michael Grabner, New York Islanders, 14.238 seconds.
Breakaway challenge: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington, 38.5 percent of fan vote
Accuracy shooting: Daniel Sedin, Vancouver, 8.9 seconds
Skills relay challenge: Team Lidstrom, 2 minutes, 9 seconds
Hardest shot: Zdeno Chara, Boston, 105.9 miles per hour (new record)
Elimination shoot out: Corey Perry, Anaheim, 3-for-3
Other, ahem, “highlights” included one miked-up player talking about the effects of last night’s vodka, and another dropping an F-bomb on live TV. Well, if it works for HBO…
Who was talking about last nights vodka? Was that only on versus? I don’t remember hearing that on CBC.
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jordan Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
@Arron, i never heard either of those on versus,
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friarking Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
@jordan, I’m sure Versus hopes most people didn’t hear those. The Duchene moment was kind of odd since they were trying to get his attention in the booth and he wasn’t responding.
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King-O-Matic Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
@Arron, Matt Duchene talked about the vodka he had last night after doing the fastest skate.
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King-O-Matic Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
@King-O-Matic, Best part is Duchene is only 20… Opps! lol.
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lafan13 Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
@King-O-Matic,
Announcer: So how u feeling matt?
Duchene : Im not as think as you drunk i am **hicup**
DesertKing Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 10:22 am
@King-O-Matic,
I seem to remember Kane and couple of other underage friends having a little problem after drinking too much and assaulting a taxi driver a year ot two ago.
pitty Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 9:05 am
@Arron, Yea he did say he was feeling the vodka from the night before. It should be interesting to see how Bettman and the NHL spin underage hockey stars drinking.
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Anyone have a link to video of kopi in the breakaway challenge unfortunately I missed it
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Lakings1420 Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
never mind found it here it is if any one else is curious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI2V-OFw35g
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grega11 Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 10:26 am
@Lakings1420,
the second one was awsome
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The second attempt was one of the best I thought, but it all comes down to a popularity contest.. Kopitar really never had a chance in that because he’s not really an attention whore/big name so he didn’t get a lot of camera time. I was hoping he’d get past the first round in the shootout, but really, I hope he just kind of relaxes and comes back to the team ready to go. No need to get him worn out for nothing.
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lafan13 Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
@Colin, I still think he needs to win MVP tomarrow, to help give some spotlight to perhaps lure a fellow allstar in future UFA signing or a NMC on a trade…
Maybe kopi and P Kane will be paired on same line, and score 100 goals tomarrow…. 2 weeks later Kane requests a trade to LA…..
anyuone else feeling the effects of tonits vodka?
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This format and selection system is a joke.
Carolina- 4 guys – ok, they are the hosts
Chicago -4 guys- ok, they are the champs
Avs -3 guys
Boston -3 guys
Ducks -3 guys
Rangers- 3 guys – Really?
Van -3 guys
Minnesota – 2
Montreal- 2
Phoenix- 2
Philadelphia- 2
Pittsburg- 2
Sharks- 2
Stars- 2
Tampa- 2
Washington- 2
Atlanta -1
Buffalo- 1
Columbus- 1
Detroit- 1- Really? who about Zetterberg?
Florida-1
New Jersey- 1
Oilers- 1
Ottawa- 1
Preds-1
St. Louis- 1
Toronto-1
KINGS-1 – I dont like Quick much but I think he’s better than 3 other goalies at the All Stars.
FLAMES-0- Are you kidding? they couldn’t find anyone from that team to replace Iginla?
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sebastian Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
@jofa6000, in all honesty i would rather Quick and the rest of our guys stay home, rest and spend time with their families rather than participate. thats just my opinion though. i remember last year after the olympic break, Quick came back pretty shaky.
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jofa6000 Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
@sebastian, I hear you and agree with you.
My problem is with the selection system or the lack of. How can few teams have 4 guys and other have 1 and in the Flames case they have none.
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Alan21 Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 8:32 am
@jofa6000, How was Jonas Hiller in there over Quick?
jofa6000 Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 10:42 am
@jofa6000, its a broken system just like politics.
K Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 1:14 am
@jofa6000, Reason Zetterberg isn’t in there… if you remember last all star game I believe Zetterberg and Datsyuk got “injured” and didn’t play. I could be wrong but I heard he doesn’t really wanna play in the game.
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jofa6000 Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 10:43 am
@K, i dont have much infor on that so i cant argue about that.
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Michelle Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
@jofa6000, Zetterberg has a sore back and requested that he not be included in the All Star Game. The Flames don’t have anybody because Iginla opted to spend the time with his sick grandmother instead, and who else on that team is an All Star right now?
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Cristobal Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
@jofa6000,
isles = zero players?
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jofa6000 Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 8:08 pm
@Cristobal,i think i missed the isles… they had MICHAEL GRABNER.
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This whole concept of fan voting determining things seems stupid to me. It’s more likely to have a larger audience from the east than the west since it’s taking place at night back there and the afternoon out west. Of course, that’s in addition to the media adulation that takes place for certain players, of which Kopitar is not a part.
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mcsorleyfan Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
@just my opinion, Agreed; the all-star event has always seemed to be an East Coast thing, even though there’s more talent in the West (arguably). The only reason I can see for voting is to keep guys who really want to play int he game happy, so they won’t be afraid to come here thinking they’d never play an all-star game.
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Duchene tweeted after the vodka comment…
Matt9Duchene Matt Duchene
Oh and btw, the vodka thing wasn’t a personal thing, it was a joke amongst our group! Don’t take it how I said it
Raise of hands, who believes him?? LOL
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lafan13 Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 11:11 pm
@Golfnut303, I declare a state of shinanagins
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My wife and i watched the competition and enjoyed it very much, except for the camera work.Why in the the world can`t they keep the cameras back and let us watch the great talent on the ice.I really think they try to hard to sell hockey,or maybe i`m just getting old.Again just my thoughts.
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Jason4Kings Reply:
January 29th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
@old man,
My thoughts too.
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Well that was silly, ready for some real hockey now. Not gonna spend another amazing afternoon watching a kids show, although the Vodka comment made me LOL. Kopi’s move between the legs to spin around was the best (of course I’m biased) and I did text “4″ a crapload of times haha. Kinda glad Quick wasn’t involved in this circus. He needs to be preparing himself to play lights out every night for the rest of the season. Hope the rest of the kings are taking advantage of this rest and have it their minds to go undefeated this “mini-season”.
GO KINGS, bring on the mild!!!
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it doesdn’t matter what Kopi does he is AWESOME, WHAT A TALENT. also a hell of guy
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I’m enjoying the all star stuff so far. The regular seasons long enough. It also gives guy like me (not just a Kingsfan, but a fan of hockey in general)a chance to see other superstars from around the league.
Rich,
If you can, could you find out if any of the other Kingsplayers will be watching tommorow? Maybe even getting together on a day off to enjoy the game, and have a few beers.
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Is thr All-Star game over yet. It’s nice and all, but we are trailing in the standings and we need to get back on the ice. we just started to get that winning feeling back. Winning sometimes comes NOW!!!!!
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I kinda liked what MA Fleury did…the jumping jacks, spinning around, lounging down. He was trying to have as much fun with it as he could as well.
Also, watching Cam Ward and Tim Thomas do the fastest skater, man, what a train wreck…you think the guys in Boston were happy watching their star goaltender fall like that?
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Choralone Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 11:13 am
@mrbrett7, Fleury was a hoot. I like to think the initial spin move was a nod to the Omark “controversy.”
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It just wasn’t a professional production.
Everything from the camera direction (what the hell was that guy doing jerking the camera up and down during the mini-net passing drill?), to the decision to mic Duchene, to the confusion between the floor reporters and the booth guys, to the starting miscues and redo’s of some of the skills to, and last but not least, the ill-conceived “skills” competition itself.
The amount of mistakes, delays, poor transitions between skills to the overall poor planning was really terrible. It may have been kinda fun for the players and the crowd, but as a television broadcast designed to be a cohesive and entertaining event, it was a train wreck. It was as if we were allowed a peek into a Ringly Bros circus act in the parking lot of the Forum.
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Player-X Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 10:53 am
@wavesinair, I thought it went pretty well, for a dress rehearsal. When ia the actual prformance?
I especially loved them missing the finish line shot on the second fastest skater match. And, the scorekeeping was impossible. They didn’t tell us tghe results, and it was impossible to know which team who was on.
Crutch phrase of the day, candidate #1: That’s for sure.
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Player-X Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 10:54 am
@wavesinair, P.S.- It was obviously the grips letting the whole crew down. Grips can’t win a show, but they can lose it. Nyuk, Nyuk…
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Anybody know who Kopi’s linemates will be for the game?
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Dayman Reply:
January 30th, 2011 at 11:41 am
@Dominick,
looks like he’s on the 4th line with Duchene and Kessel. Thats what i saw on the whiteboard on the pre game interview with Lav
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Kopi!!! breaks the shut out in all star game
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