It was a field that featured two defending winners and the NHL's leading goal scorer.
But despite the competition, Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn and Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matt Read surprised the capacity crowd at ScotiaBank Place in the Accuracy Shootout Event at the Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills competition, with Benn winning the event.
With previous accuracy winners Daniel Sedin and Marian Hossa also participating, along with the NHL's leading goal scorer, Steven Stamkos, Benn and Read set the pace early. Read eliminated fellow rookie Cody Hodgson when he hit all four targets in an impressive 14.011 seconds. From there, the only player capable of topping Read's opening-round time was Benn, who hit his targets in 13.583 seconds.
Benn and Read went on to meet in the final, with Benn saving his best for last, posting the night's best time when he hit his targets in 10.204 seconds. Benn's accomplishment was made even more remarkable by the fact that he had his appendix removed just two weeks before the event.
"[The surgery] wasn't a good feeling, but I had a speedy recovery. It was a possibility that I might not be able to come, but fortunately I came here and it's been a good weekend so far," said the first-time All-Star, who was admittedly nervous in the opening round. "I saw a goal scorer like Steve Stamkos, it looked like he was having a tough time so I got a little worried."
If Benn and Read surprised onlookers with their accuracy, Stamkos' trouble and first-round elimination seemed just as unlikely. After hitting his top targets early, Stamkos consistently missed his lower bulls-eyes. In an effort to make light of his misfires, Stamkos played to the crowd when he placed a baseball cap on his head and started wiring one-timers at the gaping net before being eliminated with an event-worst time of 44.684.
"I knew I was going to have trouble with the low ones. The guys were bugging me that I don't score any goals low," said Stamkos, who leads the NHL with 32 goals. "I had to throw the hat on in the end. The hair was getting in the way. I'm going to get some ribbing, guys telling me to cut my hair after that."
It was the rookie Read, who is actually three years older than the third-year veteran Benn, who defied expectations that were unexpectedly raised by Flyers teammate Claude Giroux. In the moments leading up to the competition, Giroux tweeted a prediction that Read would hit four targets in his first four attempts.
"I was right next to him when he tweeted that. I disappointed him, I guess," Read joked about Giroux, who was selected by Team Alfredsson to be the designated passer as Read fired away. "I wish he was passing the puck a little bit better. I got a couple of rollers from him, but it was fun. He was just trying to have fun with it."
In the end, the event belonged to Benn, who may now have to live up to his newfound reputation as the League's most accurate shooter.
"I wouldn't call it my forte, but it's something I worked on in the garage back home and on the ice and after practice," said Benn. "You just try to have fun with it and try to hit your spots."
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Kane's 'Super' move wins Breakaway Competition
Patrick Kane had only one day to plan his costume and routine for the Allstate Insurance NHL Breakaway Challenge. That was enough time for him to turn into a hero Saturday night.
Kane took the puck at center ice and skated toward goaltender Brian Elliott. The Blackhawks star came to a stop at the blue line, where he was presented with a Superman cape and Clark Kent glasses by teammate Marian Hossa. Now costumed, Kane skated toward Elliott, dove onto his stomach, knocked the puck with his left glove over to the stick in his right hand, and beat Elliott in the night's most memorable moment.
"Our PR guy, Brandon Faber, I told him about the idea," said Kane, who won the event by receiving 47 percent of the fan vote via text. "He went out to a costume shop with my mom and dad, and they got the cape and got the glasses. They had some other ideas for sparklers on my skates, but I wasn't going to try to burn myself on the ice out there. They did a great job of getting everything for me."
Kane said he drew inspiration from Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who donned a Superman cape during the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2008. While Kane was faster than a speeding bullet, Howard was leaping tall buildings.
In the end, both emerged victorious with a mix of theatrics and skill.
"I really didn't care about scoring," Kane said. "I was more about the whole presentation."
Kane didn't just wing it during the Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition. He arrived early to Scotiabank Place on Saturday to practice the Superman move. He kept the idea to himself until later in the afternoon.
"He told me the idea today on the bus and said he needed some help so I said sure," said Hossa the accomplice. "When he told me about it, I said it sounds pretty cool. It wasn't easy to do, but he did it extremely well."
Like a true showman, Kane saved something extra for the encore.
Still wearing the cape and glasses, Kane readied for his third and final shot. Instead of some fancy stickhandling, Kane showed his super strength by uncorking a slap shot that shattered the puck into four pieces.
It wasn't a trick puck, but there was a secret to the 181-pound Kane muscling up.
"It was actually a real puck," Kane explained. "We cut it up and glued it back together. That was the best way to work it. We cut it up into four pieces and put it together with the glue so it would work pretty easy. I was a little disappointed none of them went into the net. When I was doing it this morning, I had like three in the net sometimes. It was pretty cool."
Elliott, who played Lex Luthor to Kane's Superman, said he received no advance notice about the trickery.
"He didn't tell me anything," Elliott said. "I'm glad I closed my eyes on the exploding puck, because I didn't want one of those in my eye. I think it's a good idea just to have fun with it. Those will be the highlights tomorrow morning. I think a lot of kids will try that Superman move next time they're on the ice."
Lightning star Steven Stamkos, who won the Tim Hortons NHL Elimination Shootout, is somewhat familiar with Kane's diving Superman move. As a rookie at the 2009 All-Star Game in Montreal, Stamkos did a similar move where he dove, knocked the puck with his right hand to his stick in his left hand, and beat the goaltender.
"I think he tried it first and missed," Stamkos said. "That might be his original move.
"It was fun. That’s what these events are for. To be creative. Patrick Kane has a pretty creative personality and we saw that tonight. You can see it in his play, he’s one of the most exciting players in the game and if you’re going to do something like that, this is the event to do it in. The crowd seemed to like it.
Superman won't be the end of Kane's creativity. If he winds up at the All-Star Game in Columbus in 2013, he'll have a full year to work out something even better.
"I just had fun with it," Kane said. "I thought it was a cool event. I like to do it. If I ever come back again, maybe I'll do something different."
Kane took the puck at center ice and skated toward goaltender Brian Elliott. The Blackhawks star came to a stop at the blue line, where he was presented with a Superman cape and Clark Kent glasses by teammate Marian Hossa. Now costumed, Kane skated toward Elliott, dove onto his stomach, knocked the puck with his left glove over to the stick in his right hand, and beat Elliott in the night's most memorable moment.
"Our PR guy, Brandon Faber, I told him about the idea," said Kane, who won the event by receiving 47 percent of the fan vote via text. "He went out to a costume shop with my mom and dad, and they got the cape and got the glasses. They had some other ideas for sparklers on my skates, but I wasn't going to try to burn myself on the ice out there. They did a great job of getting everything for me."
Kane said he drew inspiration from Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who donned a Superman cape during the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2008. While Kane was faster than a speeding bullet, Howard was leaping tall buildings.
In the end, both emerged victorious with a mix of theatrics and skill.
"I really didn't care about scoring," Kane said. "I was more about the whole presentation."
Kane didn't just wing it during the Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition. He arrived early to Scotiabank Place on Saturday to practice the Superman move. He kept the idea to himself until later in the afternoon.
"He told me the idea today on the bus and said he needed some help so I said sure," said Hossa the accomplice. "When he told me about it, I said it sounds pretty cool. It wasn't easy to do, but he did it extremely well."
Like a true showman, Kane saved something extra for the encore.
Still wearing the cape and glasses, Kane readied for his third and final shot. Instead of some fancy stickhandling, Kane showed his super strength by uncorking a slap shot that shattered the puck into four pieces.
It wasn't a trick puck, but there was a secret to the 181-pound Kane muscling up.
"It was actually a real puck," Kane explained. "We cut it up and glued it back together. That was the best way to work it. We cut it up into four pieces and put it together with the glue so it would work pretty easy. I was a little disappointed none of them went into the net. When I was doing it this morning, I had like three in the net sometimes. It was pretty cool."
Elliott, who played Lex Luthor to Kane's Superman, said he received no advance notice about the trickery.
"He didn't tell me anything," Elliott said. "I'm glad I closed my eyes on the exploding puck, because I didn't want one of those in my eye. I think it's a good idea just to have fun with it. Those will be the highlights tomorrow morning. I think a lot of kids will try that Superman move next time they're on the ice."
Lightning star Steven Stamkos, who won the Tim Hortons NHL Elimination Shootout, is somewhat familiar with Kane's diving Superman move. As a rookie at the 2009 All-Star Game in Montreal, Stamkos did a similar move where he dove, knocked the puck with his right hand to his stick in his left hand, and beat the goaltender.
"I think he tried it first and missed," Stamkos said. "That might be his original move.
"It was fun. That’s what these events are for. To be creative. Patrick Kane has a pretty creative personality and we saw that tonight. You can see it in his play, he’s one of the most exciting players in the game and if you’re going to do something like that, this is the event to do it in. The crowd seemed to like it.
Superman won't be the end of Kane's creativity. If he winds up at the All-Star Game in Columbus in 2013, he'll have a full year to work out something even better.
"I just had fun with it," Kane said. "I thought it was a cool event. I like to do it. If I ever come back again, maybe I'll do something different."
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