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I may be in the vast minority here, but I watched the entirety of the NHL Skills competition last night. And I'll be glued to my TV for the NHL All Star game tonight in Atlanta.

As the NHL has struggled to stay relevant in their post-ESPN, post-lockout stage, several changes have been made to the game. Shootouts, two-line passes, and an increase in penalties have all added up to a faster, more offensive, more skilled game. Due to the success of these changes, the NHL decided to make some tweaks to the Skills Competition as well.

While some of these were well-done, a few of them weren't quite as successful. As has been the case the last few years, one of the highlights of this NHL skills showcase was the Young Stars game. This is a 3-on-3 game with a running six minute clock featuring some of the rookies and second year players who didn't make the All Star team, but will likely be there in the near future. This gives fans a chance to see the future of the NHL in an exciting, up and down game. Spectacular saves and ridiculous moves by the youngsters were the norm for the evening, with Chicago Blackhawks' rookie Patrick Kane looking most impressive.

Nicklas Backstrom, who plays alongside Alexander Ovechkin in Washington, also looked very good. Arguably the best part about this event was that Manny Legace, the Western Conference goalie, was mic'd up while all these kids were racing at him with odd man rushes. Legace was on fire in net and on the mic. It made for a really entertaining event.The hardest shot competition was also awesome. Last year, Boston's Zdeno Chara won the event with a 100.4 MPH slapper. The 6'9, 260 pounder took home his second consecutive title on the last shot of the competition. He beat out Vincent Lecavalier's 101+ MPH bomb, posting a 103 MPH sizzler, the second hardest shot in the history of the competition. Three men broke the 100 MPH barrier this year, and the crowd really got into it when they saw triple digits.

This competition really makes you feel for the goalies.The other two events that were done well and added some excitement to the night were the accuracy shooting challenge and the elimination shootout. Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle crushed 8 targets in 9 shots, arguably the best performance since Ray Bourque used to own this challenge every year. Calgary defenseman and Scott Stevens clone Dion Phaneuf won the elimination shootout for the West with a few sexy moves that nobody knew he had. Of course, when it comes to NHL broadcasts, there is always something to be desired. I am one of three people in the United States who can watch hockey on TV all day without being confused or losing the puck. But a few of the competitions made it so that even I had difficulty figuring out what the hell was going on.

The first problem was with the obstacle course. When the rules were being explained, it seemed pretty cool. That is, until Versus gave us a dizzying array of confusing shots, few of which included the puck. Now I can follow the puck, but only WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE SCREEN! Watching this event was maddening. To add to my frsutration, Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk seemed as confused as I was. They repeatedly said scores that didn't match what was on the scoreboard, and I had no idea where I was anymore. The announcers' confusion was a theme throughout the night, which speaks more to the organization of the broadcast than their talent level. Normally I enjoy Emrick and Olczyk very much.

Another problem was the change made in the fastest skater competition. Normally this is one of my top two favorite events, but not this year. The powers that be decided it would be a great idea to shorten the race by about two-thirds. In years past, the skaters would have to make a full lap around the rink, with the negotiation of the high speed turn around the net being the make or break point of any speedsters run. This year they decided to have the skaters go from one goal line to the opposite blue line. What? Awesome, a five second race. This woeful change proved less than nothing about any of the players' speed as it was more about a good start than elite top speed. It also doesn't allow us to compare the skaters in yesterday's competition to those in years past. On top of all that, add the confusion that came with several of the times of the skaters being reversed and giving victories to the wrong skater. I actually started calling my television a liar during this competition. They need to scrap this makeover and go back to the old way of doing things.

The most disappointing and least well thought out change in this year's competition was the one made to the breakaway competition. The idea seemed good: have judges score the players for creativity as they attempt to score on elite NHL goalies. Unfortunately, the judges were inconsistent and there was no bonus given for a player actually scoring. And that is what this is all about in the end. The choice of judges was questionable. Bill Clement and Scott Mellanby were both good choices as they are former NHL players who spent time in Atlanta during their careers. The other two choices, Dominique Wilkins and some guy from Friday Night Lights, were awful. It was never made clear how Friday Night Lights guy fit into the panel. Still, he was better then Dominique. The former Atlanta Hawks' legend would look at the other panelists' scores before making up his own mind. I'm convinced he didn't know Atlanta had a hockey team until yesterday. How do you copy your scores off the guy next to you on national television!? This was a disgrace. While some of the players were incredibly creative, with Alexander Ovechkin and Ryan Getzlaf leading the way, a minimum of goals were scored. How can you give a player a 35/40 if he doesn't even get a shot on net? This change needs some refining.

In spite of all the problems, the night was an overall success. I'm sure they'll fix a few of the problems for next year's event. The game itself is what matters most, and that will likely be an incredible spectacle as it always is. If you aren't a hockey fan, I would still suggest checking out tonight's game. Even without Sidney Crosby, who is sidelined with an injury, this game features the most devastating scorers and passers in the world. The NHL All Star Game is the most exciting and skilled of all the All Star games. If you can watch Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk play with the speed, skill, and passion they do for 60 minutes and not get hooked or at least be intrigued, then the NHL is not for you. But if you have Versus, I strongly suggest checking out this game. You may be made into a fan overnight.

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