ESPN's NHL analysts offer their take on the 2003 All-Star Game:

Youngsters provide inspiration

	Barry Melrose

The difference in the intensity level this year was the young players. They cared about the skills competition and they cared about the game, showing a real desire to win and battling all afternoon.

Sure, Dany Heatley got four goals, but there were plenty of other young guys who looked great. Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Eric Brewer all played well, as did All-Star rookies Patrick Lalime and Marty Turco in the nets. All of them brought a little extra intensity.

Scott Stevens said he enjoyed being around the young guys because it reminded him of his first All-Star experience, and all of the older players responded that way.

As for the way the game ended, I have been a proponent of the shootout for a long time. It was used in the American Hockey League when I coached there and I think it would be great during the NHL regular season. The playoffs have to remain a sudden-death format, but if the league is going to give the losing team a point anyway why not keep the fans around and make the ending a little more exciting?

Can you imagine Sergei Fedorov and Jaromir Jagr deciding a game on the final two shots? I have a feeling the people would love that and I say we should give it a try.

The best I've seen

	Bill Clement

Dany Heatley put on an incredible spectacle, working very hard while playing on the same line as his hero, Jaromir Jagr. That's what sports are all about, drama and the unexpected, and Heatley himself would probably admit that even he could not have dreamed of anything like this happening.

The goal tending was once again spectacular, just as we saw in the skills competition. For Marty Turco and Patrick Lalime to sit around since warm-ups and then play the way they did in the third period was sensational. All of the goalies were fantastic. No one seemed to have the All-Star jitters and everyone played up to their potential.

And when the game was on the line in overtime you saw the pride coming out in the players. In the grand scheme of things the outcome of this game doesn't mean anything, but deep down these guys hate to lose and are very competitive. That was the case late in regulation and in both extra sessions, making this the best All-Star Game I have ever seen.

Coaches get their wish

	Darren Pang

Nikolai Khabibulin set the tone early with a great toe save, getting the attention of the Western Conference bench and signaling that the game was on, and Patrick Lalime was particularly impressive in battling for some saves in the third period. He showed a lot in this game.

Dominant performances by goalies are rare in All-Star Games because of the wide-open style of play, but the coaches of both teams addressed their players before today's faceoff and asked for some defense. They wanted a well-played game and they wanted the players to feel accountable. Mission accomplished.

This would have been a great game even without the shootout, but that made for some extra excitement and a unique situation for the fans.