Phil Kessel

[AvroArrow]

The 8 points (5 G, 3 A) in the 3 games is nice and everything but in those three, he's been arguably our best two-way forward too.  - That's the part which is flooring me.

I think his compete level has gone up another gear this year, so far.  He's fighting to backcheck, he's fighting to forecheck.  Very promising.

 

[leafplasma]

Right now, Kessel is playing like someone with superstar status, at least for a couple of games. There are only a handful of players in the league with a skill set like he has. He's lifted his game to another gear. The question is consistency. I'm sure no one expects these kind of games every night, but to have his recent level of effort on a consistent basis, he'll put up some really good numbers.
How many guys in the league that play his kind of game, skating and sniping, have a better skills set? Not many.
When Kessel is playing at the top of his game, you just can't wait for him to get the puck in some kind of scoring position. He's that dangerous. Imagine him playing with someone like Crosby. He's rack up 50-60 goals.

He is using his linemates more too, realizing that puck movement via the pass will get him the puck again in a better position to score. We all know where the Jason Blake school of thought will get you.

 

[Strangelove]

His improvement over last season at both ends of the ice is pretty remarkable, and a lot of it seems to be due, at least in part, to better conditioning.  Hopefully it's not just adreneline - I remember he tailed off a lot after a fast start a few years ago as well.  But so far he's been a really nice surprise.

 

[Tigger]

Right now, Kessel is playing like someone with superstar status, at least for a couple of games. There are only a handful of players in the league with a skill set like he has. He's lifted his game to another gear. The question is consistency. I'm sure no one expects these kind of games every night, but to have his recent level of effort on a consistent basis, he'll put up some really good numbers.
How many guys in the league that play his kind of game, skating and sniping, have a better skills set? Not many.
When Kessel is playing at the top of his game, you just can't wait for him to get the puck in some kind of scoring position. He's that dangerous. Imagine him playing with someone like Crosby. He's rack up 50-60 goals.

He is using his linemates more too, realizing that puck movement via the pass will get him the puck again in a better position to score. We all know where the Jason Blake school of thought will get you.

First in line at the bank with $20 mil?

 

[pnjunction]

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/17/kessel-rewarded-for-explosive-season-start

Kessel was named "NHL?s first star of the week for the week ending Oct. 16", which is kind of funny since technically he only played one game that week, although he did notch 2 goals and an assist in that game.

What's interesting is the part of the article about Phil wanting to get on the PK. I'm not sure that would be a good idea for every game but I could see situations, like if the team is down and on an unfortunate parade to the box, that we might want him out there as fresh legs and also to see if he can make something happen short-handed.  With his speed if he can catch their d-men flat-footed at our blue line he is gone.

 

[maplesyrup]

Kessel was named "NHL?s first star of the week for the week ending Oct. 16"

BOOYAH!

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

What's interesting is the part of the article about Phil wanting to get on the PK. I'm not sure that would be a good idea for every game but I could see situations, like if the team is down and on an unfortunate parade to the box, that we might want him out there as fresh legs and also to see if he can make something happen short-handed.  With his speed if he can catch their d-men flat-footed at our blue line he is gone.

I can see Wilson giving him those opportunities against "weaker" defenses. Maybe not against the Detroit's of the league, but he may be able to burn a few teams in the way that you mention.

 

[ZBBM]

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/17/kessel-rewarded-for-explosive-season-start

Kessel was named "NHL?s first star of the week for the week ending Oct. 16", which is kind of funny since technically he only played one game that week, although he did notch 2 goals and an assist in that game.

Loser.  His fellow All-Stars put him in his place last year.

 

[maplesyrup]

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/17/kessel-rewarded-for-explosive-season-start

Kessel was named "NHL?s first star of the week for the week ending Oct. 16", which is kind of funny since technically he only played one game that week, although he did notch 2 goals and an assist in that game.

Loser.  His fellow All-Stars put him in his place last year.

Wow! Even my crappy sarcasmascope picked up that one.

 

[Kessel_81]

Phil Kessel now has 9 goals in 4 games to lead the NHL  ;D

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Phil Kessel now has 9 goals in 4 games to lead the NHL  ;D

9 points.

 

[Kessel_81]

Phil Kessel now has 9 goals in 4 games to lead the NHL  ;D

9 points.

you are correct, that was supposed to say 6 goals lol

 

[hockeyfan1]

From:  http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42376-Campbell-KesselSeguin-trade-gets-interesting.html

...things are starting to really get interesting in the most discussed and dissected trade in the NHL over the past couple of seasons...

Kessel leads the league in goals (five), points (eight) and plus-minus (plus-7), while Seguin leads the Bruins with a goal and five points. Meanwhile, Dougie Hamilton, the other first round pick the Bruins received in the Kessel deal, leads all Ontario League defensemen in scoring with five goals and 17 points in nine games with the Niagara IceDogs and Jared Knight, the 2010 second-rounder the Bruins also received, has six goals and nine points in eight games for the London Knights.

... the most impressive thing about Kessel in the early going is he?s finally scoring goals that mean something. Kessel gets his 30 goals every year, but too often they were the second goal in a 5-2 loss that was scored in the third period - and not enough of them came in months ending in ?ber.?

The returns early in the season are impressive, though, from both sides of the equation.

 

[Bender]

From:  http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42376-Campbell-KesselSeguin-trade-gets-interesting.html

...things are starting to really get interesting in the most discussed and dissected trade in the NHL over the past couple of seasons...

Kessel leads the league in goals (five), points (eight) and plus-minus (plus-7), while Seguin leads the Bruins with a goal and five points. Meanwhile, Dougie Hamilton, the other first round pick the Bruins received in the Kessel deal, leads all Ontario League defensemen in scoring with five goals and 17 points in nine games with the Niagara IceDogs and Jared Knight, the 2010 second-rounder the Bruins also received, has six goals and nine points in eight games for the London Knights.

... the most impressive thing about Kessel in the early going is he?s finally scoring goals that mean something. Kessel gets his 30 goals every year, but too often they were the second goal in a 5-2 loss that was scored in the third period - and not enough of them came in months ending in ?ber.?

The returns early in the season are impressive, though, from both sides of the equation.

It's gonna be really strange to see all those players playing for the Bruins at some point, but what's done is done. Kessel's looking like one of the top snipers in the league right now.

 

[maplesyrup]

Huh... Outside of Frattin and Kadri who whether or not may or may not be "regulars" remains to be seen, Kessel is our youngest forward. I guess I should have known that but its rather easy to forget I think.

 

[Slofire]

From:  http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42376-Campbell-KesselSeguin-trade-gets-interesting.html


... the most impressive thing about Kessel in the early going is he?s finally scoring goals that mean something. Kessel gets his 30 goals every year, but too often they were the second goal in a 5-2 loss that was scored in the third period - and not enough of them came in months ending in ?ber.?

I'm pretty sure that's factually untrue...

According to this: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/3983/splits;_ylt=AmgvkfbktG9w7Spr25eFrGRivLYF?year=career

He actually doesn't score in months ending with Ry...

For the record it took me exactly 2 minutes to fact check that story, and prove him wrong. That's some shoddy journalism right there

Adding to that, he also appears to enjoy Thursday more than any other day of the week. He also has significantly more goals in wins over his career than in losses.

 

[Number 5]

For the record it took me exactly 2 minutes to fact check that story, and prove him wrong. That's some shoddy journalism right there

You're not serious, are you? Wow...talk about nitpicking. You do realize he was joking around, right? You're not really worried about the statistical accuracy of a joke, are you?

And you do understand that he's a columnist, paid to write his opinion, right? Not necessarily weekly, factually accurate dissertations on the sport?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

For the record it took me exactly 2 minutes to fact check that story, and prove him wrong. That's some shoddy journalism right there

You're not serious, are you? Wow...talk about nitpicking. You do realize he was joking around, right? You're not really worried about the statistical accuracy of a joke, are you?

And you do understand that he's a columnist, paid to write his opinion, right? Not necessarily weekly, factually accurate dissertations on the sport?

What was written, while maybe written in a humourous way, was certainly not a joke.  I don't see anything in what he wrote that indicates he didn't mean it.  If it was a huge exaggeration or something I could see it, but it just seems written in a light fashion.

He can write whatever he wants, but he'll get called out on factual inaccuracies just like any other journalist.

Reminds me of when that Senator Jon Kyl made a comment in the US about abortions being 90% of what Planned Parenthood does, was proven wrong, and issued a statement that it was "not intended to be a factual statement."  And then everyone had a good, long laugh at his expense.

I don't think it's a big deal, but I also think it's fair to call him out on things he can check, because people read it and not everyone will know it's not literally true.

 

[Slofire]

For the record it took me exactly 2 minutes to fact check that story, and prove him wrong. That's some shoddy journalism right there

You're not serious, are you? Wow...talk about nitpicking. You do realize he was joking around, right? You're not really worried about the statistical accuracy of a joke, are you?

And you do understand that he's a columnist, paid to write his opinion, right? Not necessarily weekly, factually accurate dissertations on the sport?

Except his humorous opinion was based on a fact that was wrong, but thanks for pointing out his joke to me smart guy. If you actually read the paragraph you can clearly see that he was stating fact. Everything short of the last sentence was obviously not a joke, and for that matter neither was the last sentence it was just meant to be a shot at Kessel, the same way Burke discusses needing wins in months that end in 'ber'.

I don't care if he's a columnist or a journalist, they still have a responsibility to make sure their statements are factually correct. Your columnist comment is also the same excuse that Simmons uses for being one of the biggest tools in Toronto journalism.

You do understand that for opinions to be right, they have to based on factual accuracies not made up facts to suit your argument. Something Ken Campbell has a history of not worrying about.

 

[Mack674]

Nitpicking? Making sure that what you read in a published article is in fact the truth is 'nitpicking' ?