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Pens' Letang nets 2 as all-star

Team Lidstrom's Nicklas Lidstrom, left, of the Detroit Red Wings, and Team Staal's Eric Staal, of the Carolina Hurricanes, shake hands after Team Lidstrom's 11-10 win in hockey's NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 in Raleigh, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. — This NHL All-Star game ended much like last season did — with a bunch of victorious Blackhawks on the ice, and a player from Chicago skating off with the biggest prize.

Now for the twist: They weren’t all on the same team.

Patrick Sharp won the MVP award — and the new car that goes along with it — as a member of local favorite Team Staal, but three Chicago teammates helped Team Lidstrom claim an 11-10 victory Sunday night in the first All-Star game in which the rosters were chosen by a draft of the captains.

That likely means there will be plenty of friendly ribbing in the Blackhawks’ dressing room over bragging rights. Sharp can honk the horn to his new Honda Crosstour EX-L while Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews — all of Team Lidstrom — can point to the scoreboard.

Pittsburgh Penguin defenseman Kris Letang scored two goals in the contest.

“I think this will be the topic of conversation — definitely, I’ll be sure to bring it up a few times,” Sharp said. “All in all, I think it was a great weekend for the Blackhawks.”

Especially since each of them showed up on the score sheet. Sharp and Toews had a goal and two assists apiece, while Kane and Keith both assisted on a goal by an ex-Blackhawk, Dustin Byfuglien.

Sharp had a hand in three of his team’s first five goals, and scored his first career All-Star goal 78 seconds into the second period to give the Staals a short-lived 5-4 lead. That was enough to make him the first Chicago player to be selected All-Star MVP since Eric Daze in 2002. Bobby Hull also did it in 1970 and ‘71.

“For once, I think (Sharp) has proven that he’s one of those guys, that he’s one of those stars,” Toews said. “He’s slowly worked hard to become one of those household names, and it’s not easy for a guy like that.”

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