The All-Star Game in the four major U.S. sports rarely captures the public's imagination in the modern era.The NHL was not immune to this issue Mikael Granlund Jersey , and the Lords of the Game were not happy when All-Star Games became scorefests with both teams either in or approaching double figures in goal totals.There was no hitting and no defense in any of these games, and there was more intensity in the beer line than there was on the ice.However, after changing lanes from Eastern Conference All-Stars vs. Western Conference All-Stars to captains pick their own teams, the NHL decided to make the main component of the game a three-on-three contest between the league's four divisions.The is the fourth year of a three-on-three format that featuresthe Atlantic Division meeting the Metropolitan stars in one semifinal and the Central facing off against the Pacific in the other, and the winners meeting for the title.While the response has been somewhat mixed, there is more intensity as the tournament produces a $1 million prize for the division that wins the title, and the games have been more competitive.Fans in San Jose and those watching on NBC Saturday night at 8 p.m. will be able to watch the NHL All-Star Game. This is the first time since 1997 that the NHL All-Star Game will be broadcast in prime time on network television.Here's a look at the four teams, and an analysis of the rosters.Atlantic DivisionAll-Star appearances presented parenthetically.F Jack Eichel, BUF (second)F Nikita Kucherov, TBL (third)F Auston Matthews, TOR (third)F Jeff Skinner, BUF (second)F David Pastrnak, BOS (first)F Steven Stamkos, TBL (sixth)F John Tavares, TOR (sixth)D Thomas Chabot, OTT (first)D Keith Yandle, FLA (third)G Jimmy Howard, DET (second)G Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (second)The strength of this team may be the plethora of Tampa Bay Lightning playerssince that team has been far and away the best in league this season.Start with Nikita Kucherov, the league's leading scorer with 22 goals and 78 points. He is a magnificent playmaker and a dangerous scorer when he decides to shoot.Teammate Steven Stamkos has found the back of the net 26 times and he has been hot in recent weeks, while goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best puck stoppers in the league. He has 20-6-2 record along with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.Vasilevskiy will split the goaltending duties with Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings.The Toronto Maple Leafs are representedby Auston Matthews and John Tavares, while the Buffalo Sabres are sending Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner.David Pastrnak is the lone Boston Bruin in the game, and he has flashed his talent with 27 goals and 29 assists.A look at the Atlantic roster showsThomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators and Keith Yandle of the Florida Panthers are the division's two defensemen. While the three-on-three format is largely about offense, the Atlantic Division does not appear to be as strong as the others with its blueliners.Metropolitan DivisionF Sebastian Aho Youth Mikko Koivu Jersey , CAR (first)F Cam Atkinson, CBJ (second)F Mathew Barzal, NYI (first)F Sidney Crosby, PIT (fourth)F Claude Giroux, PHI (sixth)F Kyle Palmieri, NJD (first)D John Carlson, WSH (first)D Seth Jones, CBJ (second)D Kris Letang, PIT (fifth)G Braden Holtby, WSH (fourth)G Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (fifth)Sidney Crosby is the big-name superstar who will lead the Metropolitan Division, and he has scored 21 goals and 36 assists to this point in the season.While those numbers are considerably less than stars like Kucherov, Mikko Rantanen, Connor McDavid and Johnny Gaudreau, it would not be a shock if Crosby was the best player on the ice in Saturday's action.Crosby usually has Alex Ovechkin as a teammate in recent All-Star games, but that won't happen this time around. Ovechkin has a league-best 37 goals, but he announced he would not play and needs the time off.As a result of his decision, the league has mandated Ovechkin will miss the Washington Capitals' first game after the All-Star break. The Capitals are represented by goalie Braden Holtby and defenseman John Carlson.Holtby has a 17-12-3 record, a 3.11 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Carlson does an excellent job of creating offensively and he has eight goals and 39 assists.Mathew Barzal will represent the New York Islanders and has 14 goals and 31 assists. Barzal has become the Islanders' go-to star since Tavares signed with the Maple Leafs in the offseason.Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones are representing the Columbus Blue Jackets. Atkinson has become a clutch scorer for head coach John Tortorella's team with 27 goals and 21 assists, while Jones is a rising star who has netted seven goals and 22 assists from the blue line.The New York Rangers have sent Henrik Lundqvist to the All-Star game, and he has a15-12-7 record with a 3.01 GAA and a .908 save percentage.This team appears to lack the firepower to win the competition since Ovechkin has decided to take a pass.Central DivisionF Patrick Kane, CHI (eighth)F Nathan MacKinnon, COL (third)F Ryan O'Reilly, STL (second)F Mikko Rantanen http://www.minnesotawildteamshops.com/authentic-ryan-suter-jersey , COL (first)F Mark Scheifele, WPG (first)F Blake Wheeler, WPG (second)F Gabriel Landeskog, COL (first)D Miro Heiskanen, DAL (first)D Roman Josi, NSH (second)G Devan Dubnyk, MIN (third)G Pekka Rinne, NSH (third)Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche may be the sport's most underpublicized superstar, and he could use the All-Star game to fully introduce himself to sports fans.Rantanen is the league's second-leading scorer behind Kucherov with 23 goals and 51 assists, and he is strong on the puck and an excellent decision maker when he passes.He is joined by teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who has netted 27 goals and added 44 assists.MacKinnon will challenge McDavid as one of the fastest skaters in the league.Explosive Patrick Kane is a veteran of All-Star games, and this is his eighth appearance. He has scored 29 goals and 42 assists this yearand is having a fine scoring year for the struggling Chicago Blackhawks.Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele represent the Winnipeg Jets. Wheeler is one of the best three-zone players in the league and he has nine goals and 52 assists to this point in the season, while Scheifele has netted 25 goals 34 assists.The Nashville Predators are sending defenseman Roman Josi and goaltender Pekka Rinne. Josi is one of the league's best defenseman and has scored eight goals and 28 assists, while Rinne is18-12-3 with a 2.47 GAA and a .915 save percentage.Rinne will share goaltending duties with Devan Dubnyk, and the Minnesota Wild netminder brings a20-16-3 record, a 2.57 GAA and a .913 save percentage.The Central team looks strong in all areas and should have an excellent chance of performing well in this format.Pacific DivisionF Johnny Gaudreau, CGY (fifth)F Clayton Keller, ARI (first)F Connor McDavid, EDM (third)F Joe Pavelski, SJS (third)F Elias Pettersson, VAN (first)F Leon Draisaitl, EDM (first)D Brent Burns, SJS (sixth)D Drew Doughty, LAK (fifth)D Erik Karlsson Brandon Manning Jersey Womens , SJS (sixth)G Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK (fourth)G John Gibson, ANA (second)The Pacific Division appears to be the favorite in this league, as the combination of McDavid and Gaudreaubrings a dynamic offensive presence to this team.Both players have scored 29 goals and 44 assists, and are tied for third in the league in scoring. They should get several chances to play together, and the results could be electric even though they are rivals during the regular season.McDavid is joined by teammate Leon Draisaitl, and he has scored 27 goals and 34 assists. Draisaitl is an excellent passer who can also take advantage of his opportunities around the net.The San Jose Sharks are represented byJoe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The home fans will give their stars a huge ovation, and all three are capable of playing starring roles.Burns is the league's leading scorer among defensemen with nine goals and 46 assists.Pavelski has scored 27 goals 18 assists, and he is one of the top shooters in the league as he is connecting on 20.8 percent of his shots.Karlsson has scored just three goals in his first season in San Jose, but he has handed out 40 assists and is starting to get used to his surroundings after his long tenure with the Ottawa Senators.Drew Doughty is the lone member of the Los Angeles Kings to make the Pacific Division team, and he has five goals and 23 assists.Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights will represent last year's Stanley Cup finalists, and he has a 27-14-4 record along with a 2.49 GAA and a .911.He will split goaltending duties withJohn Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson is 17-16-8 with a 2.74 GAA and a .919 save percentage.This is a powerful team that will be difficult to beat.PredictionsSemifinal roundAtlantic over Metropolitan: No Ovie, no win for MetroPacific over Central: McDavid-Gaudreau pairing is just too tough to beatChampionshipPacific over Atlantic: Hometown heroes lead Pacific to $1M win.In addition to the NBC broadcast, the game can beviewed onFuboTV. WASHINGTON (AP) — No one man can possibly replace Alex Ovechkin for the Washington Capitals. So, forced to play without their captain and leading scorer, the defending Stanley Cup champions used contributions from just about everyone to make up the difference.Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a power-play goal with 57 seconds left, and Washington shook off the absence of its finest player to end a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.Ovechkin, who leads the NHL with 37 goals, received a one-game suspension from the league for skipping the All-Star Game. He had played in 214 consecutive games, a streak that began in October 2016.Facing the best team in the Western Conference, the Capitals also had to overcome a lower-body injury to center Lars Eller, who played only six minutes. Undaunted, Washington got goals from unheralded role players Nic Dowd and Dmitrij Jaskin Womens Zach Parise Jersey , along with Tom Wilson, before Kuznetsov notched the game winner.Without Ovechkin, the NHL’s 10th-ranked power play unit was 0 for 3 until Kuznetsov connected.“We knew that there was going to be an opportunity for some guys with Ovechkin out of the lineup,” coach Todd Reirden said. “It was a big team effort from top to bottom.”With Calgary’s Mikael Backlund off for holding, Kuznetsov weaved his way into the Flames’ zone before firing a wrist shot past goaltender Mike Smith.“I was just in a bad position to pass the puck,” Kuznetsov said. “So I decided to shoot.”An instant after the final horn sounded, several players traded punches before finally skating off the ice.“There was a lot of emotion on both sides. Two good teams that want to win,” Wilson said. “We were playing hard right until the end there and it’s loud. We were doing whatever it took to get the job done. That includes defending each other and sticking together at the end.”It was the first of six straight home games for the Capitals, who hope to get back on track after their longest losing streak since 2013-14 dropped them behind the Islanders in the Metropolitan Division.“We’re looking forward. We’re not looking back,” Wilson said. “That was a good team effort tonight. Pretty fun to go out that way at the end. Guys are happy.”Calgary trailed 3-2 before Elias Lindholm notched his 22nd goal of the season at 12:01 of the third period. Lindholm eluded Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny to get free in front of the net, where he deflected a shot by Johnny Gaudreau into the net.Backlund and Garnet Hathaway also scored for the Flames, who came in with the second-best record in the NHL. It was Calgary’s first defeat in regulation since Jan. 3, and it ended a run of nine straight games with at least one point.“They were a little more desperate than us, a little hungrier early,” coach Bill Peters said. “We got better as it went along.”Dowd opened the scoring with three minutes elapsed, deflecting a shot by John Carlson past the screened Smith.Backlund tied it with at 17:37 of the first period, zig-zagging past defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler after two Capitals got tangled up in the neutral zone. Less than two minutes later, Jaskin tapped in a rebound for Washington.Wilson made it 3-1 with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle in the opening minute of the second period, and Hathaway quickly answered for the Flames.Smith finished with 36 saves, but it wasn’t good enough.“Anytime you lose a game with less than a minute left, it stings,” he said. “It definitely hurts after coming back and making a game of it.”NOTES: Calgary D Travis Hamonic left with a lower-body injury. … Carlson extended his point-scoring streak to four games and reached 40 assists in a second straight season for the first time in his career. … Ovechkin will have to wait until Sunday for the opportunity to pass retired Sergei Fedorov as the highest scoring Russian-born player in NHL history. Both have 1,179 career points. … Calgary has scored an NHL-best 81 goals in the third-period and remains plus-39 in the period. … Washington was outscored 36-18 during its skid. The last time the Capitals lost eight in a row was in December 2010.UP NEXTFlames: At Carolina on Sunday afternoon.Capitals: Host Boston on Sunday afternoon.