Coyotes’ Clayton Keller finishes with 3 points in 2022 NHL All-Star Game
Feb 5, 2022, 4:16 PM
Clayton Keller #9 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck during the game between the Atlantic division and the Central division during the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game at T-Mobile Arena on February 05, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller had himself a nice afternoon on Saturday in the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. Keller had a goal and two assists across the two games his Central Division team would play.
The NHL’s All-Star Format since 2016 has seen the four divisions face off in two semifinal matchups of 3-on-3 play. Those games of two 10-minute periods see the winners face off in the finals under the same regulations.
In the first half of the semifinal against the Atlantic Division, a turnover in the Central’s zone saw Keller have an opportunity for a breakaway. Keller could have taken it for himself but waited for teammate Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues and set him up for the game’s first goal.
Simply the best ⭐️ #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/j571QJldKn
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 5, 2022
That line got it done again for the Central’s second goal of that half, one scored by the Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat that was assisted by Keller and Kyrou.
The Central Division won 8-4, advancing to the finals where it would meet the Metro Division.
After the Central squad fell behind 1-0, Keller’s first goal of the day tied up the proceedings on a sweet five-hole finish.
No hesitation going five-hole. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0nVqXSPmA4
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) February 5, 2022
Keller’s Central Division wound up losing in the finals, 5-3.
The winning team received a prize of $1 million to split up, an attempt by the league to incentivize players to up the intensity a bit on the ice for a rather relaxed affair in the past. That effort did not appear to work its magic in the 2022 edition, with most players still looking like they were playing at half-speed.
The night prior, Keller competed in the accuracy shooting challenge of the skills competition and finished sixth.
Keller had zero points in his first All-Star Game, a 2019 showing in which he then represented the Pacific Division before the Coyotes moved to the Central Division in 2021.
