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Phil Kessel | Winger

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Age / DOB:  (25) / 10/2/1987
Ht / Wt:  6'0' / 202
Contract: view contract details
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Toronto's brass was thrilled with the play of Phil Kessel this season.
"From a development standpoint, what we would say is the biggest plus, because there were a lot of pluses, is probably the play of Phil Kessel," Leafs vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin said on Wednesday. "Not only in the playoffs and in that series, but throughout the year. He took his game to a different level. He did it physically and he did it in all three zones and he played hard (against the Bruins)." Much was made about Kessel's past struggles versus his old team heading into the first round, but he put those talks to rest by netting four goals and recording six points in the series. The 25-year-old winger has one year left on his current deal, so an extension could be in the works as soon as this summer. May 16 - 11:50 AM
Source: Toronto Sun

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Date:

Phil Kessel wasn't ready to look at the bright side after the Leafs were ousted in Game 7 of their first-round series.

While some were able to find a silver lining, Kessel wasn't ready to do that after being a part of a monumental collapse that saw the Leafs blow a three-goal lead in the third period. "How can you look at the positives after a game like that?" Kessel said. "I don’t know what happened to us. 4-1, you can’t lose that game. Obviously we’ll have the summer to think about it, work hard and get back at it next year." Kessel had four goals and two helpers in the seven-game series.
May 14 - 11:30 AM

Phil Kessel's goal was poised to be the game winner before the Boston Bruins tied Game 7 in the final minute and then won 5-4 in overtime.

Kessel's goal made it 3-1 and looked to be the game-winning goal entering the final two minutes of the third period. It surely would've been a sweet moment for Kessel, whose history with the Bruins franchise and Boston fan base is impossible to ignore. Perhaps even worse for Toronto fans, Tyler Seguin, who was taken with one of the picks acquired in the Kessel trade, had the primary assist on Patrice Bergeron's overtime winner.
May 13 - 10:55 PM

Phil Kessel scored a goal for the Maple Leafs in a 2-1 win over Boston Sunday to send their opening round playoff series back to Boston for Game Seven Monday.

Kessel's goal near the midway point of the third period gave the Leafs a 2-0 cushion at the time, but it turned out to be a crucial marker as Boston narrowed the lead to 2-1 in the final minute of the game. Dion Phaneuf scored the other Leafs' goal while James van Riemsdyk picked up two assists.
May 12 - 10:29 PM

Phil Kessel found the back of the net for the second straight game, scoring a power-play goal 47 seconds into the third period of Toronto's 5-2 loss Monday night.

Kessel and Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle took full advantage of having last change at home Monday night. The pair did everything they could to keep Kessel away from Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, who's been stalking Kessel ever since the winger was traded to the Leafs. While it sounds cruel to say, the Maple Leafs will need more out of Kessel and the rest of their forwards if they're going to even the series at 2 on Wednesday night.
May 6 - 10:54 PM

Phil Kessel got a huge monkey off his back by scoring the game-winning goal for Toronto in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Bruins.

Kessel's breakaway goal early in the third period put the Maple Leafs ahead by a score of 3-1, a lead they would not relinquish as they evened up their playoff series 1-1. "It has been a long time against these guys," Kessel said. "It was nice to get one. I was happy." The goal was the first even-strength tally registered by Kessel against Boston since his arrival in Toronto three seasons ago.
Source: Toronto Sun
May 5 - 8:16 AM

Phil Kessel said he isn't letting the Bruins fans get to him.

Kessel had a tremendous regular season with 20 goals and 32 assists, but he was held to a mere shot in the Leafs' Game 1 loss. The winger said it isn't hard to block out the boos from the TD Garden fans. "I think it’s pretty easy. You’ve just got to go out there and play your game," Kessel said. "(I’ve) been doing it for a long time now. So do the little things that you do good and like I said, hopefully things turn."
May 3 - 8:57 AM

Phil Kessel posted one shot and skated for nearly 14 minutes in Toronto's Game 1 loss to Boston on Wednesday.

The Leafs will need a much better effort from Kessel in Game 2 and he'll need to rid himself of the jinx he has developed when he plays against his former team. Heading into the series, Kessel has generated just three goals and six assists in 22 games versus Boston, with all of his markers coming on the power play. His teammates can also help eleviate some of the pressure if they start producing, but Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak were ineffective in Toronto's playoff opener.
Source: Toronto Sun
May 2 - 12:41 PM

Phil Kessel has never been one to soak up the spotlight and the media shy winger dodged reporters on Monday.

The decision wasn't the best call since it will only draw more attention to Kessel, who is already a focal point of Toronto's opening-round series against Boston. It's not like anything he would have said would end up being bulletin board material, but he still should've faced the media. Kessel ended the regular season on a scoring tear, but his struggles against his former team have been well documented. It will be interesting to see if his can silence his critics or if the additional attention will be too much for him. Either way the Leafs will need more than just Kessel producing to beat Boston.
Apr 30 - 11:22 AM

Toronto's playoff success could hinge on the ability of Phil Kessel to produce against the Boston Bruins.

Kessel hasn't had much success against Boston since joining the Leafs and being shadowed by Zdeno Chara has kept him in check. The Toronto sniper tallied 20 goals and 52 points in 48 games this season to finish among the league's top-10 scorers.
Source: Toronto Sun
Apr 29 - 1:28 PM

Phil Kessel sniped the lone goal for Toronto in its 4-1 loss to Montreal on Saturday night.

Kessel began the year a bit sluggishly, but the super-talented winger eventually kicked it into high gear, getting 20 goals and 32 points on the season and tallying points in five straight games. Cody Franson and Dion Phaneuf had the helpers. Frazer McLaren had 24 penalty minutes and Clarke MacArthur had 14.
Apr 27 - 10:29 PM

Phil Kessel picked up a pair of goals for the Maple Leafs in a 4-0 win over Florida Thursday night.

Kessel's under-the-radar season has him in a tie for sixth place in league scoring with 19 goals and 51 points. Leo Komarov and Clarke MacArthur also found the back of the net in the Toronto victory.
Apr 25 - 11:01 PM

Phil Kessel potted a goal but it wasn't nearly enough as the Leafs fell to the Lightning on Wednesday 5-2.

Kessel now has six points over his last three games, and he seems primed to be a big-time force in the playoffs. After a sluggish start to the season, Kessel now has 17 goals and 49 points on the season. Joffrey Lupul scored the other goal in the loss.
Apr 24 - 10:10 PM

Phil Kessel has recorded 14 points in the month of April this season.

Kessel is as streaky as they come, and right now he's in the midst of one of his hot streaks. The winger now has 48 points in 45 games this season, good for seventh best in the NHL.
Source: TSN.ca
Apr 21 - 11:29 AM

Phil Kessel registered three assists Thursday, however the Maple Leafs suffered a 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders.

Kessel has been on fire over the past few weeks and has now amassed 46 points in 44 games, putting him on pace to finish the season with a point-per-game scoring rate for the second year in a row. Cody Franson, Joffrey Lupul and Dion Phaneuf were the goal scorers for Toronto in a losing effort.
Apr 18 - 10:05 PM

Depth Charts

All Positions
PosRoleName
C1Tyler Bozak
2Nazem Kadri
3Mikhail Grabovski
4Jay McClement
LW1Joffrey Lupul
2James van Riemsdyk
3Clarke MacArthur
4Frazer McLaren
5Ryan Hamilton
RW1Phil Kessel
2Nikolai Kulemin
3Matt Frattin
4Leo Komarov
5Colton Orr
D1Dion Phaneuf
2John-Michael Liles
3Jake Gardiner
4Cody Franson
5Carl Gunnarsson
6Ryan O'Byrne
7Mark Fraser
G1James Reimer
2Ben Scrivens