Tkachuk's 5-point game lifts Atlantic Division into All-Star final vs. Central
Matthew Tkachuk notched a hat trick and added a pair of assists to lead the Atlantic Division to a 10-6 victory over the Metropolitan Division in the second NHL All-Star semifinal Saturday.
The Atlantic led 4-3 after the first frame, and the Metro stormed back with three straight goals to open the second - the first of which capped off a hat trick for Johnny Gaudreau. But the hosts then reeled off six unanswered markers to seal the win.
Brady Tkachuk collected one goal and three assists to help the home side. Dylan Larkin scored twice and added a helper for the victors, while Aleksander Barkov and Mitch Marner got three assists apiece.
Nick Suzuki supplied two goals of his own, including the game-winner. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, while Nikita Kucherov scored once.
Kucherov's Tampa Bay Lightning teammate, Andrei Vasilevsky, was the best goaltender in the second semifinal. He stopped 10 of the 13 shots he faced for a .769 save percentage.
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin combined directly on two goals that gave the Metropolitan Division temporary leads. Crosby also picked up a secondary assist on Ovechkin's lone tally of the day. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain finished with two goals and an assist, while his Washington Capitals counterpart had a goal and two assists.
Artemi Panarin picked up three assists in a losing effort.
Earlier in the day, Nathan MacKinnon and Clayton Keller both chipped in two goals to help the Central Division edge the Pacific 6-4 in the first semifinal.
The Central held a 5-2 lead late in the final period, but Elias Pettersson and Erik Karlsson both scored to cut the deficit to one. Keller ultimately put the game out of reach with a dagger to book the Central's ticket to the final.
Vladimir Tarasenko led all skaters in that game with a four-point performance, while Keller and Seth Jones each put up three-point efforts.
The Pacific Division had a step on the Central early on in the contest, and Connor Hellebuyck had to stand tall with a breakaway stop on Bo Horvat.
However, MacKinnon would break the ice just over three minutes in with his first-ever All-Star Game goal. Connor McDavid scored for the Pacific just 33 seconds later, but the Central held a 3-2 edge heading into the intermission.
Keller bookended the final frame, scoring 18 seconds into the period and then with 1:53 remaining in the matchup.
Pettersson was the Pacific's top performer with two tallies. He had another goal overturned following an offside review.
Juuse Saros was tremendous after he came in for the second period, making 11 saves on 13 shots to help lift the Central to victory.
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