Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard scored the winning goal with 20.9 seconds left for the Eastern Conference to squeeze past the West 8-7 in the NHL All-Star game on Sunday.
Early on it looked as though it would be a night for the West when Rick Nash scored the first of his three goals a record-quick 12 seconds into the game. But the East took charge with five straight goals, including two by Alex Ovechkin.
Yet in the end, after the West erased a 5-1 deficit to go ahead 7-6, Savard -- a former star for the host Atlanta Thrashers -- brought the local fans out of their seats to cheer for him again.
"It wasn't a tough shot, but it sure felt good when it went in," Savard said. "I got booed on Saturday and a little today, but I liked playing here for the Thrashers. It got my career on track. It felt great to come back and play in the All-Star game. Getting the winning goal just made it more special."
Leading up to the game, there was much talk about who wouldn't be at the All-Star game. Sidney Crosby, the defending MVP pulled out due to a sprained ankle, and starting goalies Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo both withdrew for personal reasons.
That left it wide open for many others to grab the attention. Of the 42 players, 15 made their All-Star debuts.
Ovechkin made an early bid, followed by Nash, and even goalie Evgeni Nabokov.
In the end it was Savard, known way more for passing the puck than shooting it. The play-making forward, second in the NHL in assists, buried the puck behind first-timer Manny Legace just when it seemed overtime was inevitable.
"I expected him to shoot," Legace said. "I had no chance. I just hoped he'd miss the net. There was nothing I could do."
Carolina's Eric Staal got the East even at 7 with 7:25 left by scoring his second of the night, then helped set up Savard for the winner. His three points were enough to skate off with the MVP award.
Savard spent parts of three seasons in Atlanta before leaving for Boston as a free agent before last season. The crowd was cheering for current Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk but happily settled for a former favorite.
The East's other scorers were Andrei Markov, Brian Campbell and Marian Hossa in this game of few whistles and fewer checks, allowing the all-stars to skate freely and creatively.
Aside from Nash, the West received goals from Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf, Dion Phaneuf, and Marian Gaborik.
Nabokov stopped all eight shots he faced, while Florida's Tomas Vokoun made 18 saves in 20 attempts as the East's lead was cut to 5-3.
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