Just prior to his start against the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was named to his fifth All-Star Game as part of the NHL fan vote. He’ll join Nikita Kucherov as the Lightning’s representatives in South Florida for the festivities. David Pastrnak and Auston Matthews were the other Atlantic Division players chosen by the fans to join the players that were named to the squad earlier in the month.
The All-Stars Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook will happen on Saturday February 3rd while the All-Star Game itself happens on Sunday February 4th at 3:00 PM EST. In the United States the fun will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN+.
Vasilevskiy has been named to every Atlantic Division All-Star team since 2018 (there was no game in 2021 due to the shortened season). He’ll split time with Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark in the 3-on-3 games against the other divisions.
Lightning / NHL News
Lightning drop game to Oilers, 5-3 [Raw Charge]
Two of the top offenses took to the ice Thursday night and the stars all showed up on the stat sheet, but there was also some unusual tension in the game for two teams that rarely face each other.
500 goals and a lot of assists. Every player who helped the captain reach this major milestone. #GoBolts #TBLightning pic.twitter.com/Nd7InT82LD
— The Bolt Report (@BoltReport_TB) January 19, 2023
Steven Stamkos has become Steve Yzerman 2.0 [Daily Face-Off]
Former teammate Mike McKenna wrote about his experience with Stamkos and how he’s transformed his game to resemble their former general manager, Steve Yzerman.
Mathieu Joseph takes accountability for scratch [TSN]
When coach DJ Smith scratched old friend Mathieu Joseph before a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (and his brother Pierre-Olivier) the internet was aflame with speculation. On Thursday, Joseph took full responsibility for the situation, “This is on me. This is my responsibility.” It seems to be water under the bridge for the organization.
NHL embraces retro Florida style for All-Star jerseys [ESPN.com]
Stylized after the mid-1990s All-Star sweaters with a splash of South Florida hue make these really pop. After some interesting choices over the last few seasons, there is a nice simplicity with just enough of the Miami Vice vibe to ensure these will sell pretty well.
John Tortorella speaks about the Ivan Provorov situation [NBC Sports]
Tortorella said he had a “very healthy” conversation with Provorov “a few days prior to the game” about the 26-year-old’s decision.
Tortorella and Provorov talked with general manager Chuck Fletcher. Tortorella informed Scott Laughton of Provorov’s decision. Laughton is the team’s lone alternate captain and a player ambassador for the Flyers’ Pride Night, along with James van Riemsdyk.
Max Pacioretty exits Canes victory with injury [Canes Country]
It’s been a rough season for Pacioretty who spent most of it recovering from an Achilles injury. On Thursday, with just 19 seconds left in the game, he apparently suffered a non-contact injury to the same area and was helped off the ice.
NHL fines Panthers’ Maurice $25,000 for comments [TSN]
Frustrated by the officiating in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice expressed his displeasure with officials Francois St-Laurent and Pierre Lambert. Those comments cost him $25,000.
