The NHL All-Star Game takes place on Sunday in Los Angeles on NBC with the popular 3-on-3 format returning. There will be three 20-minute games with the Atlantic taking on the Metropolitan while the Central battles the Pacific. The winners of those two games will battle in the final. Last year the two semifinal games were high scoring as the Atlantic beat the Metropolitan 4-3 while the Pacific outscored the Central 9-6. The final was totally different as the Pacific beat the Atlantic by a score of 1-0.
Don't miss the ice action from Staples Center at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 29, 2017. Catch every moment of the three games live on NBC.
We'll have NHL odds at BookMaker.eu available for these three games on the NHL Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Each of the four teams has 11 players with six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. The Metropolitan Division should be favored against the Atlantic as the Metropolitan is loaded with talent but that was the case last year and it was the Atlantic winning the game. The same thing happened last year with the Pacific beating what was considered a loaded Central Division team.
The Metropolitan Division team has Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and they have Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. The Atlantic does have the exciting rookie Auston Matthews but they are weaker overall but they do have Carey Price in goal.
The Central Division team is loaded again this year as they have Patrick Kane, Tyler Seguin and good defensemen in Duncan Keith and P.K. Subban. The Pacific team is better this year with Connor McDavid and last year they were good enough to win the title.
2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game Rosters
Atlantic Division
F Nikita Kucherov (TBL)
F Brad Marchand (BOS)
F Auston Matthews (TOR)
F Frans Nielsen (DET)
F Kyle Okposo (BUF)
F Vincent Trocheck (FLA)
D Victor Hedman (TBL)
D Erik Karlsson (OTT)
D Shea Weber (MTL)
G Carey Price (MTL)*
G Tuukka Rask (BOS)
Metropolitan Division
F Sidney Crosby (PIT)*
F Taylor Hall (NJD)
F Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
F Alex Ovechkin (WSH)
F Wayne Simmonds (PHI)
F John Tavares (NYI)
D Justin Faulk (CAR)
D Seth Jones (CBJ)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR)
G Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ)
G Braden Holtby (WSH)
Central Division
F Patrick Kane (CHI)
F Patrik Laine (WPG)
F Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
F Tyler Seguin (DAL)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
F Jonathan Toews (CHI)
D Duncan Keith (CHI)
D P.K. Subban (NSH)*
D Ryan Suter (MIN)
G Corey Crawford (CHI)
G Devan Dubnyk (MIN)
Pacific Division
F Jeff Carter (LAK)
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
F Bo Horvat (VAN)
F Ryan Kesler (ANA)
F Connor McDavid (EDM)*
F Joe Pavelski (SJS)
D Brent Burns (SJS)
D Drew Doughty (LAK)
D Cam Fowler (ANA)
G Martin Jones (SJS)
G Mike Smith (ARI)
* Fan-elected captain
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The Pacific has some exciting players including Connor McDavid and Johnny Gaudreau and those two players should put on a show. "It will be fun," said McDavid, "Three-on-three is fun hockey. Obviously it's going to be the world's best. We're pretty good at it [in Edmonton], and I think there will some good players there. All four divisions will be pretty good."
Gaudreau really shines on 3-on-3 and the format suits his game. "I love 3-on-3," he said. "There's a lot of space. You have to be smart with the puck and make plays. There's a defensive part of the 3-on-3 style, too, and you have to be smart about that kind of stuff but it's a lot of fun."
It was a shock last year when the Pacific Division won the title as they looked to be the weakest of the four teams. I think the Pacific could be undervalued again so I will take them to win again.
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