Tampa Bay Lightning F Brayden Point elected to All-Star team
By Lane Fahey
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point replaces teammate Victor Hedman for the NHL All-Star game this weekend.
When Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman fell due to injury, many thoughts surrounded Bolts Nation. Most importantly, will the number one team in the league survive without him, and stay atop the standings?
Another question that was just answered yesterday, is who will replace him at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game? After much debate, we have an answer: Tampa Bay’s own Brayden Point will be an All-Star.
When I read the notification I was taken aback for a second. Brayden Point, a forward, is replacing a defenseman for the Atlantic division team? However, Point has proven to be one of the top players in the league, and he can now show his skills in front of the spotlight.
In my last article that explored the worst injuries for the Bolts so far this season, I touched on who should replace Hedman. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was the top choice, with 31 points in 47 games. However, Mikhail Sergachev was also a great candidate and would be a hometown replacement for Hedman.
It seems that head coach Jon Cooper and staff felt the same way. In Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators, the rookie defenseman was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. In Monday night’s 2-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sergachev receives an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, that could have cost the Bolts the game.
Tampa Bay Lightning
With that incident and Sergachev not at the top of his game, a healthy scratch was probably best, to eliminate any All-Star potential. While the rookie has had an impressive season thus far, the mental part of a player’s game always needs to be in check. Sergachev will be a healthy scratch again tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.
In the hopes that the Bolts would still have four players on the team, Brayden Point is now an All-Star. Point has 43 points in 48 games, only behind Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov on the team.
Scoring is always an important factor in winning a game, but scoring at the right time is key. Point leads the Bolts with seven game-winning goals so far this season.
A Kucherov-Stamkos-Point line will be exciting to watch in the three-on-three games Sunday. Point is usually paired with Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. Recently, Cooper has mixed up the lines, and Point is playing with Johnson and Kucherov. Adding Stamkos to the Kucherov and Point pairing will add more offense than fans could ever imagine.
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green and Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson are the only defensemen on the team. In the three-on-three play, you do not necessarily need three defensemen on a team. Three forwards will cover the ice just as well, and that is why Point replaces a defenseman. Hedman is out up to six weeks with a lower-body injury.
Next: Ondrej Palat Out 6-8 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Before the All-Star and Gasparilla festivities begin in Tampa, the Lightning play the Philadelphia Flyers. The Bolts are looking to win for the third time this week on the road. Then, the All-Star Skills Competition is Saturday at 7 p.m. The All-Star game is Sunday starting at 3:30 p.m. when the Atlantic Division takes on the Metropolitan Division.