East scores last-minute victory

~ Savard nets goal with 20.9 seconds left to lift the EasternAll-Stars to an 8-7 victory.

ATLANTA -- Marc Savard scored the winner, Rick Nash scored three goals, Eric Staal scored a brand new truck.

There was plenty to see in this NHL All-Star game, even without Sid the Kid.

Savard, known for more for his passing than shooting, found an open net with 20.9 seconds left to lift the Eastern Conference to an 8-7 win over the West on Sunday night.

Suddenly, Atlanta was home again for the Boston Bruins forward. While the Thrashers faithful chanted and cheered for current favorite Ilya Kovalchuk, they showed little love for Savard, who turned a 2 1/2-year stop in Atlanta into a lucrative free-agent deal with Boston before last season.

"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, there was much talk about who wouldn't be at the All-Star game. Sidney Crosby, the defending NHL MVP and scoring champion 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 others to grab the attention. Of the 42 players, 15 made their All-Star debuts.

The West started fast, then got buried. They rallied in the second, caught up in the third and even went ahead. They had Nash's hat trick to thank for that, and solid play from MVP Eric Staal and Savard to lament.

Real early it looked as though it would be a night for the West when Nash scored the first of his three a record-quick 12 seconds into the game. But the East took charge with five straight, including two by Alex Ovechkin -- Crosby's rival for top player in the NHL.

"We came out a bit slow and they took it to us," Nash said.

After the West erased a 5-1 deficit to go ahead 7-6, Staal and Savard put the East on top.

Staal, who had two goals and an assist, can drive the truck that comes along with the MVP award back to Hurricanes country in Raleigh, N.C., or become the biggest star in a family that has three boys in the NHL.

As he says in a league television commercial, "Is this the year we finally figure out who is Dad's favorite?"

"I was saying to the guys on the ice, if I do give it to my parents, I would sure be the favorite of the family for at least a little while," Staal said.

Ovechkin made an early bid for MVP honors, followed by Nash and even goalie Evgeni Nabokov. In the end it was Savard. The play-making forward, second in the NHL in assists, buried the puck behind Blues goalie Manny Legace just when it seemed overtime was inevitable.

It also made a winner of Tim Thomas, his Bruins teammate who took Brodeur's place on the team just days before the game.

Not bad considering he gave up four goals in the first 10:57 of the frenetic third period.

"It felt pretty good to come up with the 'W' at the end," said the 33-year-old, first-time All Star, "especially the way that period started out."

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. It was a pass from Buffalo defenseman Brian Campbell that made it easy.

"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.