Belleville Senators forward Drake Batherson scored five times on the night to earn MVP honors, helping the North Division to a 1-0 shootout win over the Atlantic Division to win the 2019 AHL All-Star Challenge on Monday night in Springfield, MA.
The second place Atlantic Division went 2-1-0-1 on the night.
Samuel Montembeault stopped 3 of 5 shots and Anthony Greco had an assist in a 3-1 win over the Central Division in the first game of round robin action.
Greco added another assist and Montembeault made 8 saves on 9 shots in the Atlantic’s second game, a 5-2 win over the Pacific Division.
In the final round robin game, Montembeault stopped 7 of 9 shots and Greco went scoreless in a 4-1 loss to the North Division.
The same two teams went at it with the tournament on the line. Greco was held off the score sheet again, as was everyone else during regulation, and Batherson and Trevor Moore scored in the shootout to give the North the 1-0 win. Michael Dal Colle scored the only Atlantic goal in the shootout, Greco didn’t finish his chance in the first round. Vitek Vanecek stopped all six shot for the Atlantic in regulation. Montembeault came in for the shootout and stopped two of the four shooters he faced.
All in all, a good showing on home ice for the two Florida Panthers prospects. Montembeault stopped 18 of the 23 shots he faced in 3-on 3 game action and Greco totaled two assists.
In NHL action, the Cats got a needed helping hand from the New Jersey Devils, who dealt the Pittsburgh Penguins a 6-3 loss at PPG Paints Arena.
The Panthers continue to trail the Pens, the current holder of the second wild card spot, by ten points, but now have a game in hand on Sidney Crosby & Co.