In the first intermission of Thursday night’s Tampa Bay Lightning game, Andrei Vasilevskiy was named to the Atlantic Division All-Star team following the fan vote. Vasilevskiy joins David Pastrnak and Auston Matthews in joining the Atlantic Division.
The Atlantic poses perhaps the best goaltending tandem this season with Boston’s Linus Ullmark leading the league in nearly all goaltending statistics. Vasilevskiy does not have the most eye-popping numbers by his standards but since he is still widely regarded as the best goaltender in the NHL, he was the rightful representative as the Atlantic’s second goaltender.
Vasilevskiy will head to South Florida along with Nikita Kucherov to represent the Lightning. This nomination is the fourth of his career for Vasilevskiy and first since 2020.
Time to turn up the heat. 🔥
Vasy is #NHLAllStar bound for the fifth time, thanks to you! pic.twitter.com/6aI9kohq9Q
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 20, 2023
Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos also had compelling cases to be added to teams as well. But, with the requirement that each team must be represented, there simply are not enough roster spots. If an injury arises to any of the Atlantic Division skaters, Point and Stamkos will definitely be considered as replacements.
Vasilevskiy showed why he was All-Star in the period following the announcement despite dropping Thursday’s meeting with the Edmonton Oilers. Vasilevskiy made a highlight reel poke-check save on the league’s best player, Connor McDavid on a second period breakaway.
Poke check by Vasy on McDavid. 😳 pic.twitter.com/I3uMj4JHTn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 20, 2023
Tampa Bay now have four games to go until the All-Star break, with three of them coming at home. There’s a decent chance that Vasilevskiy draws the start in all four of those games.
