I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching Phil Kessel have no success against his former team and I love hearing the boos and the Kessel jeers every time he steps on the ice or touches the puck against the Boston Bruins at the TD North Garden. I have watched every game (the wonders of NHL Center Ice) and I am not bitter but I do wish this would have ended better, it was kind of a buzz kill going into the season. I know that some day I will forget about this trade if the Boston Bruins end up with a top notch first round draft choice like Taylor Hall. Kessel’s absence this season caused a huge hole in the Bruins’ offensive scheme that they were unable to replace.
There hasn't been a drop off for Phil Kessel’s play this season, some thought his numbers would fall off when he didn't have Marc Savard to pass him the puck, however, that is not the case and his numbers this season are pretty similar to last season point totals. This season Kessel missed 12 games because of the shoulder surgery and only has 5 points less than last season’s numbers (30g-25a-55pts) compared to last season (36g-24a-60pts). I think with a full season Kessel could very well score 40-50 goals, I think that is what hurts Boston the most and I think he was worth the money he was asking for.
Now, there's no question Phil Kessel is a gifted sniper.
Most of the time.
Just not when it comes to playing the Boston Bruins, because against his former team, Kessel is remarkably less than ordinary.
In five games this season against Boston, Kessel has zero goals and one assist. This despite 16 shots and an average of 19 minutes, 55 seconds of ice time a game, most among Toronto forwards. But he's a minus-4, worst on the team.
"I'd like to get (a goal), but sometimes they don't come," said Kessel. "I've had a bunch of chances, I've had three or four breakaways on them and I haven't been able to score yet. It's one of those things where it's just not going in."
Kessel has a chance to break his goose-egg Saturday night when the Bruins – who are in the playoff hunt – come to town for the final time this season. Kessel insists he doesn't take any particular pleasure in watching Boston stumble to the finish line.
"We're going to play to win," said Kessel. "But they're going to be there. They're a good enough team to be there."
The Leafs have a much better record in games when Kessel scores, 15-7-2. That the Leafs have a winning record against the Bruins – 3-2-0 – suggests to coach Ron Wilson the team isn't a one-trick pony, that there is more to Toronto's offence than just Kessel.
"I'm sure the Bruins would be cognizant of his strengths and what he likes to do and try to take that away," said Wilson. "It's nice to win games when Phil doesn't score. I want Phil to score every game. But if he doesn't (and we win) that's just showing we're starting to develop some of our other guys and do some of the right things that creates offence for guys who aren't as naturally gifted as Phil."
That includes Tyler Bozak, who thrived when playing with Kessel at the beginning of February and hasn't slowed down since being reunited with Christian Hanson and Viktor Stalberg.
"He has the ability to make anybody he plays with better," Wilson said of Bozak. "He's playing with two other rookies and he looks better than he did two weeks ago with (Nikolai) Kulemin and Kessel.
[The Star]
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