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Brayden Point ‘not living and dying’ by all-star vote

Brayden Point is part of the the last-chance fan vote for the NHL All-Star Game.
 
Published Jan. 9, 2019|Updated Jan. 9, 2019

TAMPA — Lightning C Brayden Point isn't worrying about the "last man in" vote for the All-Star Game. He'd like to play in the game, but he's not going to focus on that fan vote to get him a spot.

"Thank you to all the fans who have voted," he said. "I think you look at that list, there are a lot of great players on it. Whatever happens happens. Just thanks to the people who have voted."

For the "last man in" vote, one player from each team is nominated to make his division's team for the Jan. 26 event in San Jose. The vote at nhl.com ends at 11:59 Thursday. Fans can vote up to 10 times a day until then.

Points' competition for the Atlantic Division spot: Bruins F Patrice Bergeron, Sabres F Jeff Skinner, Red Wings F Dylan Larkin, Panthers F Aleksander Barkov, Canadiens D Shea Weber, Senators F Mark Stone and Maple Leafs D Morgan Rielly.

The Lightning already has three players going to the All-Star Game: C Steven Stamkos and RW Nikita Kucherov were selected by the league's Hockey Operations Department, and G Andrei Vasilevskiy was announced Tuesday as the replacment for Montreal's Carey Price, who was selected but is sitting out the game to rest.

Point said he is "not living and dying" by the vote.

The Lightning is pushing for the Point vote with a social media campaign.

Players including Stamkos and Kucherov have posted about it on Twitter.

Point said he had not voted for himself. He figured his family members probably had but hadn't asked them about it.

Last year was Point's first All-Star appearance, and he's having an even better season this year. He leads the Lightning with 26 goals and 57 points. The latter puts him on pace for a 108-point season.