Checkers forwards Warren Foegele and Valentin Zykov helped the Eastern Conference to an 18-12 victory at the AHL All-Star Classic’s Skills Competition on Sunday.
Zykov helped the Checkers’ new/old conference earn points in the Accuracy Shooting challenge, where he hit all four targets on seven attempts, and in the breakaway relay, where he beat Milwaukee’s Anders Lindback. He also participated in the puck control relay, where, as the third man on a three-man team, he nearly erased a significant deficit for his team with a strong individual effort down the stretch.
Foegele participated in the Fastest Skater competition that was ultimately won by teammate John Gilmour of Hartford. He came agonizingly close to earning points for his team in his other two events, scoring a goal in the Pass and Score event that came just after the buzzer and hitting the post after an impressive move in the breakaway relay.
The two Checkers will now try to turn in another strong showing at Monday’s All-Star Challenge, where they will represent the Atlantic Division in a three-on-three, round-robin tournament beginning at 7 p.m. The event will be televised on the NHL Network and available for free online at AHLLive.com.
