Atlantic beats Central in 2023 NHL All-Star Game final

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored a hat trick as the Atlantic Division topped the Central Division 7-5 on Saturday in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game final.

It's the first time the Atlantic Division has won it all since the NHL moved to the divisional format in 2016.

Larkin also tallied a pair of goals and an assist in the Atlantic's semifinal matchup against the Metropolitan Division, giving him six points overall.

But it was Matthew Tkachuk of the hometown Florida Panthers who was named MVP after his seven-point day.

Toronto Maple Leafs playmaker Mitch Marner chipped in with three assists in the final, while Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov also contributed to the Atlantic's victory with a goal and an assist. Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark was excellent in the final, stopping all six shots he faced in the first half before giving way to Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The Atlantic Division boasts three of the top five teams in the NHL by points percentage, with the Bruins (first), Lightning (fourth), and Maple Leafs (fifth).

The 11 members of the Atlantic Division roster split $1 million in winnings for their triumph.