DALLAS — The NHL All-Star game returned after a two-year break, with plenty of goals and a peek at what the league will look like for many years to come.

There were a lot of fresh faces, including Sidney Crosby of Pittaburgh and Alex Ovechkin — the flashy young duo already being touted as the Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux of their generation.

And there was the debut of the streamlined, more formfitting uniforms that will become standard for all 30 teams next season.

But even with so many new things, some of the league's old guys made the difference in the Western Conference's 12-9 victory Wednesday night.

"Veteran players, we get back in the zone, stay in the middle because (young players) are trying to embarrass us out there," said Minnesota's Brian Rolston, a 12-season veteran in his first All-Star game.

Rolston was one of four West players with two goals. The others were Chicago's Martin Havlat, Columbus' Rick Nash and well-traveled Yanic Perreault of Phoenix, a first-time All-Star who is with his third team in three years and on the sixth stop in 13 seasons.

Joe Sakic, Colorado's 37-year-old center in his 12th All-Star game, had four assists — including helpers on consecutive goals by Nash and Havlat within a minute midway through the second period that put the West ahead to stay.

Crosby and Ovechkin started on the same line and played most of the game together for the Eastern Conference. But they had only one point between them, Ovechkin's goal in the second period.

Neither Crosby or Ovechkin were in the NHL when the last All-Star game was played, before the lockout and then the Olympics last year put the game on the shelf.

They were still the main attractions in the return of the midseason showcase, but got overshadowed on the ice by the older guys.

"There were 21 goals, you think I would have had one," Crosby said, jokingly. "I guess it wasn't meant to be. I had a few chances, it just didn't work out."