Nashville will be well represented in Columbus later this month for the (sometimes) annual All-Star Game. The virtual locks were Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber, but joining them on their short flight north will be Filip Forsberg who will be participating in the Skills Competition. That’s more fun than the actual game, right?
WHY WERE THEY CHOSEN?
- Shea Weber: He’s 5th in points, one of 6 defenders with 10 goals or more, and is having a darn good season in his own right. Plus, people want to see him vs. Zdeno Chara for the hardest shot in the league. Can’t say I blame them.
- Pekka Rinne: He’s leading the league in wins, and is in the top three in GAA and save percentage among starters (and that’s if you call Brian Elliott and Michael Hutchinson starters, which they are at this point)
- Filip Forsberg: He’s the kid everyone wants to see. He has 38 points in 41 games played in his first season, and is responsible on both ends of the ice, as if that matters for this event. But if we’re being honest, people need to justify why Nashville has the record they have by rewarding players for their efforts, he’s a guy that deserves a trip. He’s been just what this team needed for years.
- Coaching Staff: They have the best record in terms of points percentage by the deadline. That’s how this works.
This will be the first All-Star Weekend for Rinne and Forsberg. For Pekka Rinne, one has to be especially glad to see him finally get named to one of these. This is long overdue. For Forsberg it’s a nice reminder that there are many better days ahead for this franchise that looked like it was headed for a rebuilding process. Roman Josi could’ve been on this list. Because he’s that darn good. He’s having a better season than guys like Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, and others. I blame Latvia.
Anyways, rejoice! Your hockey team is good.