COLUMBUS, Ohio - One thing Tyler Seguin was looking forward to at the NHLs all-star weekend was meeting Sidney Crosby. In five seasons in the league, the Dallas Stars centre has never had a conversation with the Pittsburgh Penguins captain.That wont happen after Crosby withdrew from the event with a lower-body injury.Crosby is the biggest name of the injured to pull out, a list that includes teammate Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Bobrovsky of the host Columbus Blue Jackets, MVP candidate Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings and Erik Johnson of the Colorado Avalanche.Goaltenders Rinne, Howard and Bobrovsky are out long term. Crosby, Malkin and Johnson were scratched from the game Thursday on the eve of the festivities.All the other names, were going to try to do a good job to help fill (Crosbys) shoes, Seguin said. You cant control when guys are hurt and cant come.Not having those injured stars takes some of the lustre off the first all-star game since 2012. And while younger players are getting their first all-star experience out of the situation, veterans are mixed on how injuries should be treated for an event like this.I think the thing to remember is guys can play through injuries, but injuries are still there, Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook said. Guys are a little more banged up than they want to lead on.Rookie defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who was bumped up from skills competition duty to the game in Johnsons place like Filip Forsberg is filling in for Malkin, said you cant hassle players for being hurt.Thats the way of the game, Ekblad said Friday. If youre injured and youve got to take some time and rest, then so be it.Not everyone agrees. Ryan Getzlaf, like any veteran with a heavy workload could have used a few days off, but after meeting with Anaheim Ducks management the decision was made that his body was in good enough condition to play in the all-star game.Getzlaf sees it as a matter of loyalty, but thats split between team and league.I think its important that were here, Getzlaf said. As much as some guys need the break and stuff, it is important that you be here. This is a big event for the league that you want to have all the superstars.And at the same time, your loyalties lie with your hockey team and being able to perform in the second half and at some point you do need that extra three or four days rest that can make a big difference down the road.Ekblad was awestruck at his first all-star weekend. He quipped that theres quite a few superstars here, and hes right.Even in Crosbys absence, the all-star game will feature Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers.The other thing the NHL couldnt help was timing. Injuries to Rinne and Howard came with enough breathing room to name Jaroslav Halak of the New York Islanders and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins as replacements.But the time the injuries piled up this week, it was too late. Most of the viable candidates, or those who mightve been snubbed from the original rosters, were already out of reach on vacation.Goaltender Brian Elliott left his Caribbean vacation to replace Bobrovsky. St. Louis Blues teammate Kevin Shattenkirk would have done the same thing.You cant really deny this, Shattenkirk said. You dont know how many times this is going to happen in your career. I think some guys have the luxury they know they might be here every year. This is an experience you cant really pass up on and something that 20 years from now you dont want to say you skipped an All-Star Game because you wanted to stay on the beach for an extra day or two.Seabrook feels the same way. Voted into the game by fans along with teammates Toews, Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford, he knows opportunities like this are limited.Im just saying theres a lot of guys that are deserving of being here, Seabrook said. For me being my first one, it never crossed my mind (to not come).When the regular all-stars pulled out, it was also a no-brainer for Forsberg and Ekblad to move up.Obviously it sucks that Malkin is not here, but Ill take that, Forsberg said.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Kevin Durant insists he and Russell Westbrook arent turning their first-round series into a two-man show, even if the NBA scoring champ says they may be shooting too much. Durant and his Oklahoma City teammates agree those shots will fall. Saturday night in Game 4 would be a good time to start, or the Thunder could find themselves on the brink of playoff elimination in the opening round for the first time since 2010. "I just didnt make shots," Durant said Friday after practice. "Thats the name of the game. But I liked the way I cut, I liked the way I was aggressive. But I have to do a better job of maybe passing the ball a little bit more and also making shots. Ive got to stay confident in myself." Durant and Westbrook each scored 30 points in Thursday nights 98-95 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, combining to go 19 of 53 or a majority of the 87 shots the Thunder took. Worse, they were a chilling 4 of 21 beyond the arc with Durant missing all eight of his attempts. Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins said that wont happen again. "KD is obviously the league MVP and we expect him to be the MVP down the stretch," Perkins said. Memphis has been making Durant and Westbrook work hard for shots by crowding the paint while holding the Thunder below 40 per cent shooting in back-to-back games. Now the Grizzlies have the same 2-1 lead they had a year ago in the semifinals against Oklahoma City after consecutive overtime wins. Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said they want to limit the easy shots and hope Durant and Westbrook miss some. "Theyre going to get them up," Joerger said. Durant and Westbrook werent alone. Oklahoma City went 5 of 28 for a chilling 17.9 peer cent.dddddddddddd That was just the seventh time in the playoffs the Thunder have shot 20 per cent or less from 3 since moving to Oklahoma City, and three came against the Grizzlies. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said the Grizzlies have been forcing them to take some of the 3s by crowding three and four players around the paint. Oklahoma City can loosen up Memphis by hitting some of those "The ones were trying to eliminate and hopefully we do that next game, are the ones that are off the dribble with the no passes. Those are the tough ones. Those are the ones that we dont want. The ones we like, and were going to have to be able to step up and make, are the ones when theyre packing the paint." Still, the Thunder, who posted the NBAs second-best record, remain confident. "Itd be different if we got blown out or we feel like we didnt have a chance to win," Westbrook said. "Were in a good place." So are the Grizzlies. They now have won four of the last six playoff games against Oklahoma City, including four straight on their home court. The Thunders lone win here in the post-season needed three overtimes in Game 4 of their 2011 semifinal. Not even going to overtime after blowing fourth-quarter leads has bothered Memphis, which has been pushing for the playoffs since January once centre Marc Gasol returned from a sprained left knee. The Grizzlies went 10-4 in games decided by three points or less as one of only four teams with double-digit wins in one-possession games. Conley called Saturday night the next most important game of the season. "We know theyre not going to go away," Conley said. "Theyre going to fight and do whatever they can to win the series." ' ' '