Markstrom adds All-Star to resume
Even though he was a backdoor selection for the All-Star Weekend, Markstrom was beyond the most deserving Vancouver Canuck invited. Actually, it was completely mind-blowing that it happened to begin with, and it further goes to support the fact that the west coast often gets a spotlight snubbing.
It wouldn’t be much of a reach to say that he deserved the spot originally, but Marc-Andre Fleury is a tough goalie to knock off the mountain. He’s both a goaltender with a well-stocked cupboard of awards and he’s extremely likable in the media. But sometimes the universe has a way of working out (usually never for the Canucks) and in the end, the right guy was chosen.
Markstrom’s path led to his nod of acknowledgment by the league’s best players, but it happened in the completely wrong way. I know the All-Star game is taken lightly by the players, but Marky was not only an All-Star, he was also one of the best players representing the Pacific.
At the end of it all, he got his day in the sun and he can now consider himself a full-fledged NHL All-Star. He was one of the better goalies on All-Star competition night, and he stood his ground in the All-Star Game. Canucks fans know he has what it takes to stop the best of the best.