Skills Belong To Hasek

Peter Bondra was the fastest skater by the slimmest of margins and Dominik Hasek scored as well as protected the net to lead the World All-Stars to victory Saturday night in the NHL SuperSkills Challenge.

Hasek stopped five of six shots in the final round of the night-closing Breakaway Relay event to enable his team to hold off the North American All-Stars 13-11 at the Ice Palace.

Earlier, Hasek was the only goaltender to score in the Goalies Goal competition, lifting the puck over a barrier in front his own net and sending it into the goal at the other end of the ice on the second of his two attempts.

"I'm surprised I won the competition," the Buffalo Sabres star said, adding that he used what he described as a double-curved stick. "I was surprised I hit the net. Usually it takes me five or six."

None of the other five goalies in the competition scored, although Carolina's Arturs Irbe and Nikolai Khabibulin of Phoenix -- both of the world team -- hit the post on at least one of their attempts.

Dallas' Ed Belfour came closest to scoring for North America, hitting the right post on his second attempt.

Hasek may have considered his shot lucky, but others have come to expect such things from him. The only goal he allowed in the last round of the Breakaway Relay came on a rebound shot by Philadlephia's Eric Lindros.

"Nothing that he does surprises me," Anaheim's Teemu Selanne said.

Washington's Bondra circled the ice in 14.64 seconds to beat San Jose's Marco Sturm by one-hundredth f a second for fastest skater. Al MacInnis, of St. Louis, won the hardest shot event (98.5 mph) to edge Philadelphia's John LeClair (98.3 mph).

The world team won the Rapid Fire event, allowing five goals while scoring seven against North American goalies. Boston defenseman Ray Bourque was first in the accurate shooter competition for the sixth time, sharing the top spot this time with Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick of Phoenix.

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