During the KHL Skills Competition over the weekend, Buffalo Sabres prospect Vladimir Tarasenko whipped out his stick, a puck and some string, as he wowed the crowd with this incredible move the left the goaltender and many others asking themselves, “how did he do that?”

Islanders fans knew that when their team used their fifth-overall pick on the former Niagara Ice Dogs forward, they were getting a special player with tons of creativity and an incredible set of hands.  However, I doubt any of them knew that those attributes would translate into what they saw during the Islanders’ Blue vs. White skills competition on Saturday night.

Thanks to Strome and his beautiful shootout goal, we may now have a reason to care about the New York Islanders.

Playing for Team Jagr during the KHL’s All-Star festivities, Kulyash easily earned them the win over Team Yashin in the hardest shot competition with his 110.3 mph blast on his second attempt.  That not only earned his team the point, but it also earned the 27-year-old Russian defenseman a spot in the record books for the hardest shot ever, breaking Chara’s previous mark.  Not bad for the former 8th-round pick of the Nashville Predators.

Hat Tip – [Online Sports Guys]

I simply don’t get it.  Every year the NHL seems to give their Breakaway Challenge a shot and every year the participants seem to disappoint us with their lack of creativity.  After all, how many times can we watch a player scoop the puck up with his stick, carry it all the way down the ice and miss the net before we’ve finally had enough?

With the best players in the world playing in the NHL, you would think their Breakaway Challenge would produce the greatest highlight reel goals, but that has been far from the case this year.

Earlier in the season it was the CHL Top Prospects Skills Competition that left us in awe, and today we bring you another spectacular shootout goal  This one comes from the AHL’s Skills Competition, which was also held this weekend.  And thanks to some brilliance from 24-year-old Nashville Predators prospect Linus Klasen, the event would not be completely overshadowed by the NHL’s All-Star festivities.

Hat Tip – [Puck Daddy]

In addition to Jurco’s four beauties, we also have a soccer-style header and a one-handed through-the-legs shot from the Portland Winterhawks’ Sven Bartschi, and a lacrosse-style move from Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts.  Hopefully the NHLers can be at least half as creative as these kids were when they take part in their own Skills Competition on January 29 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Sports are often made for TV. And TV is made for advertisers.

So it shouldn’t surprise — especially as all sports are scrambling to find new places to hang “for sale” signs given the current economy — that the NBA’s first H-O-R-S-E contest won’t use those letters.

As that contest joins dunking and three-point shooting contests as part of TNT’s NBA All-Star Weekend coverage, the as-yet unnamed three contestants — who’ll be overseen by an NBA ref — will play G-E-I-C-O. As in the insurance company that will be the event’s unavoidable sponsor. (Suggestion: The winner then takes on the famous ad lizard to really drive home the brand awareness.) Reported USA Today

It has yet to be reported what Geico has payed the NBA for the naming rights to the Horse game but who ever came up with this idea you can bet will be getting promoted.

Genius!!!