DALLAS, (OTHL) - - The 2007 all-star game saw as usual a lot of goals, and as usual a unexpected player was named the MVP after a strong showing. The two teams started the game with the players voted in by the league’s general managers. The east with Crosby centering Martin Havlat and Ladislav Nagy with Chris Pronger and Bryan McCabe on defence and Roberto Luongo in net. The west had there Blackhawks combo, Joe Sakic and Alexander Ovechkin on the ice, with Markus Näslund on the other wing and Lubomir Visnovsky and Adrian Aucoin backing them up. And in net, it was Nashville Predators netminder Tomas Vokoun who started.
And we got to see an early goal, as the east scored 59 seconds into the game. But it was none of the starters that got the goal, the east had already sent out there second line, with Teemu Selänne united with his old friend Paul Kariya, and Boston Bruins center Craig Conroy, that created the goal. Selänne was the scorer, his first point of the game. And the east kept the pressure up as they scored again just seconds later, this time it was Scott Niedermayer who joined the rush, and capped off a nice move by Craig Conroy and Teemu Selänne. The west looked a bit surprised by the east start, despite it being an all-star game; the east had started with the pedal to the metal, trying to score some early easy goals, instead of going for the big highlight goals. Eight minutes into the first period, the west first goal was recorded as Doug Weight found Alex Tanguay, who in his turn, passed the puck to Martin St Louis who finished off the nice tic-tac-toe play. Though the game did not stay like this for long, with the east once again taking a two goal lead. Ladislav Nagy and the top line recorded there first point, when he put the puck up high on an overplayed Vokoun. A goal that got the west top line onto the ice, and into the score sheet, Joe Sakic drop-passed the puck to Adrian Aucoin, who showed off his big slapper, scoring his first of the game. With five minutes left to play in this entertaining first period, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selänne combined for a new east goal, giving Selänne three points in the first period, and an early lead in the MVP race.
In the second period it was the west that took command, even if the east got the first goal of the period, when Martin Havlat got his name onto the score sheet. Sidney Crosby also got his first point of the game, as he made the first pass on Havlat’s goal. Three minutes later it was time for the west to score, and the first defender from the western conference to get his name on the board. Ed Jovanovski, just like Teemu Selänne, united with an old friend, as Ted Nolan had him paired with Mattias Öhlund, scored to make it a two goal game again. And a minute later, it was time for Alexander Ovechkin to show himself for the first time, as he followed up his earlier assist, with a nifty move on Miikka Kiprusoff, a move that lead to an easy goal from AO.
The east replied right away with a new goal from Selänne – Kariya, as Selänne scored his second of the game, giving him four points halfway through the game. A goal that was followed by a pick up in defence, as the two teams looked like they actually tried to keep the puck out of the net. It took a new goal from Alexander Ovechkin to break the temporary deadlock, as he banged home his second of the game, after a solid cross-ice pass from Markus Näslund.
The third period saw Henrik Lundqvist take the ice for the west, and Vesa Toskala take over in net for the east. Henrik Lundqvist, who struggled a bit during the Skills Competition, showed up in great form as he shutout the east for the entire period. Instead it was the west, and three unanswered goals that turned around the game.
Alex Tanguay, who is having a great season up in Vancouver, finally showed his skills in the game, as he scored, tying up the game six apiece. Three minutes later, Joe Sakic scored his first goal of the game, assisted by Ovechkin and Näslund. A line that a long with the Selänne – Conroy – Kariya line, was the best one on the ice. And with just over three minutes left to fight over, Brad Boyes from Colorado presented himself as he scored the last goal of the game. Assisted by Sydor and Smyth.
After the game Teemu Selänne was presented with the MVP award. A brand new dodge truck.