All-Star voting reaches final day with several races still in play

Time is running out for fans to vote their favorite players into the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game.

There are a bevy of tight races that could come down to the wire. Polls close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Toronto's Phil Kessel is the overall leader, but Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson has made up some ground since last week. The leaderboard remains almost exclusively an all-Ontario affair, with Ottawa's Jason Spezza in third place, Ottawa's Milan Michalek in fifth place and Toronto's Joffrey Lupul in sixth place.

On defense, it's Ottawa's Erik Karlsson and Toronto's Dion Phaneuf leading the way.

Tim Thomas

Goalie - BOS

RECORD: 16-6-0
GAA: 1.94 | SVP: 0.939

Boston's Tim Thomas holds first place among goaltenders, but Toronto's James Reimer isn't far behind in second place.

If you're looking to cast a last-minute vote for some deserving players who aren't near the top of the leaderboard, here are a couple for your consideration:

* The Flyers' Claude Giroux leads the League with 46 points in 33 games. He's tied with Vancouver's Henrik Sedin, who has 46 points but has played seven more games. Giroux is in seventh place among forwards.

* Steven Stamkos of the Lightning has five more goals than any other NHL player, yet sits in 19th place among forwards. He has 123 goals in his last 202 games.

* In Florida, Brian Campbell has been a rock on the blue line. His 26:24 of time on ice this season leads the Panthers and is fourth in the League. He is second among defenseman in scoring with 31 points in 39 games. Yet Campbell doesn't rank among the top 20 in defensemen voting.

*If you're looking for a goaltender who could use some support, the Kings' Jonathan Quick is a worthy candidate. His 33 starts are the fifth-most in the League, and he's posted a 2.01 goals-against average and .932 save percentage, both of which are top three among goalies who have made 20 starts. His 17-10-6 record may not be impressive on the surface, but it would be a lot of better if not for the fact the Kings rank No. 30 in the NHL in goal scoring at 2.10 per game.

Fans can vote at vote.nhl.com.

NOTE: Fans will determine the first 6 players chosen to participate in the 2012 Tim Horton's NHL All-Star Game (3 Forwards, 2 Defensemen, 1 Goalie).

Follow Dave Lozo on Twitter: @DaveLozo