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Gaborik's hat trick gives Team Chara the win at NHL All Star Game

Jan 30, 2012 - 12:58 AM Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Marian Gaborik notched a hat trick and an assist as Team Chara exploded in the third period to take a 12-9 victory in the 2012 All-Star Game from Scotiabank Place.

Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa and Phil Kessel all posted a goal and two assists, while Joffrey Lupul scored twice for Team Chara, which scored six times in the final period to take the victory.

Tim Thomas made 18 stops, Carey Price made 12 saves and Jimmy Howard made 11 stops in net for Team Chara. Each goaltender allowed three goals in one period of action while Thomas got credit for his fourth straight win, an NHL All-Star record.

Thanks to his efforts, Gaborik was named the MVP of the game.

"I wasn't even thinking about that for the game, but it's definitely nice," said Gaborik. "I had such a great time here this weekend and will always remember this."

Daniel Alfredsson, captain of his own team, scored twice and added an assist while Henrik Sedin had a goal and two assists for Team Alfredsson.

Henrik Lundqvist allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period while Jonathan Quick gave up three goals on 13 shots in the second period. But Brian Elliott was tagged for six goals on 19 shots in the final stanza to suffer the loss.

"It would have been nice to win here for the home crowd," said Alfredsson. "But I think it was a good show for the fans and everyone on the benches had a lot of fun tonight."

Gaborik got Team Chara on the board first just 4:34 in as he worked a give- and-go with Pavel Datsyuk and finished it with a chip-in from the right side of the net.

It was 2-0 for Team Chara just over a minute later when Evgeni Malkin chipped the puck in from the low right side and the team made it 3-0 halfway through the first period on Gaborik's one-timer off a feed from Hossa.

Team Alfredsson got one back moments after Gaborik's second goal as Jason Spezza sent a wrister from the right circle through a screen.

With just over seven minutes to play in the first period, Henrik Sedin scored on an easy tap-in from down low off a pass from Scott Hartnell.

Team Alfredsson then tied the game with 6:11 to play in the first as John Tavares grabbed the puck on the side of the net at the right side and wrapped it in.

Steven Stamkos had an opportunity to give Team Alfredsson the lead with 3:27 to play in the first when he was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped up by Dion Phaneuf on a breakaway.

Stamkos skated in on net and tried the spin-o-rama, but Howard was up to the challenge and the game went into the first intermission tied.

Gaborik completed the hat trick just 1:23 into the second period when he converted a Hossa pass down low at the right side and it was a 5-3 game two minutes later on Lupul's one-timer.

Team Alfredsson, though, got one back at the 7:17 mark of the second as Jason Pominville finished off a nice passing play with a push-in from the right side.

Alfredsson went coast-to-coast and scored on the forehand to tie the game with 5:27 to play then gave his own squad a 6-5 lead 1:31 later when his wrister from the slot off a feed from Daniel Sedin got past Price.

Patrick Kane, though, scored with 1:36 left in the second period for Team Chara to tie the game.

Phil Kessel scored on a wrister from the right circle 4:12 into the third to give Team Chara the lead, but Milan Michalek scored just over a minute later off a nice feed from John Tavares.

Team Chara got the lead back at the 7:45 mark when Jarome Iginla redirected a Malkin pass, but it was again tied two minutes later after Thomas misplayed the puck near his net and Hartnell centered it for a goal from Claude Giroux.

Team Chara took control of the game with three straight goals in just 1:22 later in the third.

The first came from Hossa at the 12:04 mark when he put his second backhand chance into the net from down low with a defender draped over him for a 9-8 lead.

Moments later, team captain Zdeno Chara scored for his club as he chipped the puck in from the slot off a feed from Gaborik. It was an 11-8 game at the 13:26 mark as Corey Perry got the puck in the front and switched to the backhand before putting it behind Elliott.

Daniel Sedin made it a two-goal game with 5:40 to play when his brother, Henrik, sent a pass from the right to the slot and Daniel was able to wrist it home.

Lupul, though, put the game away with 4:27 to play as his one-timer from the left off a pass from Tyler Seguin made it a 12-9 contest.

Game Notes

Perry and Malkin each had a goal and an assist for Team Chara, as did Michalek, Spezza, Daniel Sedin, Pominville and Tavares for Team Alfredsson...Phaneuf's penalty was the only called infraction in the game...Datsyuk finished the game with three assists.