Even though he played for the losing Northern Conference, Brad Marchand of the Helsinki Jokerit was named MVP of the All-Star Game with a goal and 3 asissts.
MOSCOW, Russia – It was not a banner day for the fans and city that hosted the 8th annual EURO All-Star Game. The Northern Conference entered the third period with a 5-3 lead on the hunt for its 7th win in 8 all-star games, but the South stormed back and took the game 8-6.
The five third-period goals against the Northern Conference all occurred with Alexander Salak, Moscow’s lone all-star, between the pipes. Moscow fans started the period cheering wildly and ended up embarrassed and frustrated. Geneva General David Perron scored two of those third-period and one of his goals came while he was reunited on the ice with his old Paris teammates Evgeny Malkin and Joffrey Lupul, who both earned assists on the goal.
Stockholm’s Bobby Ryan made it interesting with a goal for the North to cut the South lead to a goal late in the period, but Lupul beat Salak with a deke in tight to give the South its two-goal lead back and make the score 8-6.
The prettiest goal of the game occurred when Helsinki’s Brad Marchand – from behind the net – flipped the puck over the net and Dublin’s Patric Hornquist batted it out of the air and behind Bratislava goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 5-3 Northern Conference in the second period.
The 2018 Lada 4×4 Bronto presented to Brad Marchand as the game MVP.
Marchand had two more assists and a goal to earn top individual honors in the game. He won a 2018 Lada 4×4 Bronto, manufactured in Tolyatti, Russia.
The game itself was marred by at least three fights in the stands among fans. Moscow police made 48 arrests ranging from public drunkenness to assault, as well as one relating to the passing of counterfeit currency.
Moscow General Manager Ron Lavallee issued an apology on behalf of the club once he was released on bail.
Game Summary
Goals by Period
Northern: 2-3-1 – 6
Southern: 3-0-5 – 8
First Period
South: Landeskog 1 (Malkin (1), Voracek (1))
North: Spezza 1 (Marchand (1), Callahan (1))
South: Pietrangelo 1(Voracek (2), Kopitar (1))
South: T Johnson 1 (Kopitar (2), Letang (1))
North: Duchene 1 (Gallagher (1), Marchand (2))
Goalies: North, Lundquist 3 GA; South, Hammond 2 GA
Second Period
North: Duchene 1 (Gallagher (1), Ekman-Larsson (1))
North: Marchand 1 (Staal (1), Palat (1))
North: Hornquist 1 (Marchand (3), Backstrom (1))
Goalies: North, Quick 0 GA; South, Fleury 3 GA
Third Period
South: Stamkos 1 (Tavares (1), Bykov (1))
South: Perron 1 (Lupul (1), Bykov (1))
South: Toews 1 (Voracek (3), E Johnson (1))
South: Perron 2 (Doughty (1), Kopitar (3))
North: Ryan 1 (Backstrom (2), Palat (2))
South: Lupul 1 (Couture (1), Voracek (4))
Goalies: North, Salak 5 GA; South, Howard 1 GA
3 Stars
1 – Brad Marchand, Helsinki, North (1 goal, 3 assists) Game MVP
2 – Jakub Voracek, Zurich, South (4 assists)
3 – Jonathan Quick, Belfast, North (0 goals against)
Attendance: 15,825
