Phillip Joseph Kessel: 200 foot player?

[Michael Gary Scott]

Dion still sucks too, right?

it's cool to be hate on your own players rather than be objective

Little butt hurt there friend? Dont recall mentioning Dion in my post, but thanks for assuming things. Take off the homer glasses for 15 seconds, I AM being objective. Kessel is my favorite player. But hes not good in his own zone. To suggest otherwise is a joke.

 

[SteveV*]

Little butt hurt there friend? Dont recall mentioning Dion in my post, but thanks for assuming things. Take off the homer glasses for 15 seconds, I AM being objective. Kessel is my favorite player. But hes not good in his own zone. To suggest otherwise is a joke.

You can't even acknowledge improvement in his own zone?

 

[Patty Lee]

Little butt hurt there friend? Dont recall mentioning Dion in my post, but thanks for assuming things. Take off the homer glasses for 15 seconds, I AM being objective. Kessel is my favorite player. But hes not good in his own zone. To suggest otherwise is a joke.

that's not the joke

 

[ULF_55]

I don't really think not touching the puck was enough to say he had a good game last night.

zero shots on net.
assist on empty net goal.

He did have 1 hit though.

Last night probably isn't a game to use to prop up the player, unless the player is Reimer.

It was nice he didn't touch the puck, but come on it isn't reflective of how he or the team played.

I think he's had much better games this year, and he's much more responsible in his own end. He now puts in the efforts, but 200 foot player? Sure, he goes into his own zone and helps, but let's not get carried away.

He's an offensive, non-physical player and he's excellent in that role.

 

[SteveV*]

I don't really think not touching the puck was enough to say he had a good game last night.

zero shots on net.
assist on empty net goal.

He did have 1 hit though.

Last night probably isn't a game to use to prop up the player, unless the player is Reimer.

It was nice he didn't touch the puck, but come on it isn't reflective of how he or the team played.

I think he's had much better games this year, and he's much more responsible in his own end. He now puts in the efforts, but 200 foot player? Sure, he goes into his own zone and helps, but let's not get carried away.

He's an offensive, non-physical player and he's excellent in that role.

I guess my point, I no longer shutter in fear everytime we are in our own zone and Kessel is on the ice. I'm not getting carried away, the caveat about Kuli and Bolland was there, as was the question mark. Where we are now, Kessel can win battles on the boards and you can put him out in defensive situations and keep your heart rate under 100

 

[Leafidelity]

Kessel started the first goal that Bozak eventually scored for those who didn't watch last night.

 

[DD03]

Ya this guy might have touched the puck as it was rolling.

Man...

How far this team and Phil have come.

 

[SteveV*]

Kessel started the first goal that Bozak eventually scored for those who didn't watch last night.

Yes, he opened up the whole play with that awesome cross ice feed, great vision.

He's the best passer on the team for my money.

 

[Frelimo]

I don't think anyone would say he's a beast in defensive situations but he has vastly improved in this regard ... even if its only to the point we don't have to cringe when he's in these situations. Already a few goals were scored by his line this year that started with Kessel coming all the way back and clearing their own end - particularly the one against Ottawa comes to mind, where he made Spezza the fool.
Likewise, wouldn't say he's become physically intimidating - not sure I've seen him throw a hit yet - but he is use getting more comfortable and aggressive with using his body to win puck battles and unlike years past is no longer himself physically intimidated by other players.

He's always had top end skill, and these improvements in other areas make him less one-dimensional while at the same time allow him to be more productive offensively - which is why he's paid so much in the first place.

 

[Frelimo]

I think more telling of player development last night was that Kadri actually played on the penalty kill.

 

[SteveV*]

I don't think anyone would say he's a beast in defensive situations but he has vastly improved in this regard ... even if its only to the point we don't have to cringe when he's in these situations. Already a few goals were scored by his line this year that started with Kessel coming all the way back and clearing their own end - particularly the one against Ottawa comes to mind, where he made Spezza the fool.
Likewise, wouldn't say he's become physically intimidating - not sure I've seen him throw a hit yet - but he is use getting more comfortable and aggressive with using his body to win puck battles and unlike years past is no longer himself physically intimidated by other players.

He's always had top end skill, and these improvements in other areas make him less one-dimensional while at the same time allow him to be more productive offensively - which is why he's paid so much in the first place.

This!

 

[Raging Bull]

Yes, he opened up the whole play with that awesome cross ice feed, great vision.

He's the best passer on the team for my money.

He's a pretty good playmaker, but as far as pure passing I don't think he's as good as Nazem.

 

[SteveV*]

He's a pretty good playmaker, but as far as pure passing I don't think he's as good as Nazem.

Kadri is better with the little nifty passes, Kessel I give the edge on the longer vision passes, but I wouldn't quibble with you there.

 

[Raging Bull]

Kadri is better with the little nifty passes, Kessel I give the edge on the longer vision passes, but I wouldn't quibble with you there.

I'd say Kessel is the more "effective" passer. He rarely tries risky, creative passes, he's just incredibly patient and precise with every pass.

Kadri has insane vision, but he also will give the puck away often trying things that most players can't do. I don't have a problem with this as long as it's in the offensive zone, you can't tell a creative guy like Naz not to do his thing. As long as he doesn't do many of the Spezza-esque drop passes to nobody at the other teams blue-line.

 

[ULF_55]

He's a pretty good playmaker, but as far as pure passing I don't think he's as good as Nazem.

Kadri is better with the little nifty passes, Kessel I give the edge on the longer vision passes, but I wouldn't quibble with you there.

I'm going to hold off on supporting either of your positions until I see more of Rielly.

 

[4evaBlue]

Kessel started the first goal that Bozak eventually scored for those who didn't watch last night.

He didn't get an assist on the play, so his contributions to the goal were irrelevant.

If Kessel of all players is clearly buying into the system, kids like Gardiner have no excuses.

 

[4evaBlue]

I'd say Kessel is the more "effective" passer. He rarely tries risky, creative passes, he's just incredibly patient and precise with every pass.

Kadri has insane vision, but he also will give the puck away often trying things that most players can't do. I don't have a problem with this as long as it's in the offensive zone, you can't tell a creative guy like Naz not to do his thing. As long as he doesn't do many of the Spezza-esque drop passes to nobody at the other teams blue-line.

Kadri needs to learn to just dump the puck in more often, instead of trying to go through 2-3 guys standing him up at the blue line. Phaneuf did that 2x last night, too.

 

[Grant]

Kessel is almost always the first forward back now when the puck is turned over in the offensive zone and his line is on.

 

[Tak7]

I wouldn't say he's a 200 foot player or a great defensive player.

But he's far better in his own end, and in his work ethic, than he was when he first came. When I think 200 ft players, I think of players that are great at both ends of the ice - Bergeron, Toews, Datsyuk, etc. I don't think labeling Kessel as a 200-ft player is fair to those players.

 

[nc]

Ya this guy might have touched the puck as it was rolling.

So many old faces. Blake, White, Mitchel and Komi with Kessel on the powerplay. I think I'm happier with the players we have now

 

[hockeyfanz*]

little different in that there was a defender coming to knock it away on this play

Agreed not even sure the puck would have gone in had kessel not tapped it in. Not the same at all...and although I love Kessel...he will never be mistaken for a defensive gem...by any stretch but he is better than he was. Also lets not make too much of him not touching the puck...because thats a real D1CK move to do it. So to not do it...I would say is what the average player would do. Nobody likes a team mate thieving goals from his fellow team mate.

 

[FlareKnight]

Agreed not even sure the puck would have gone in had kessel not tapped it in. Not the same at all...and although I love Kessel...he will never be mistaken for a defensive gem...by any stretch but he is better than he was. Also lets not make too much of him not touching the puck...because thats a real D1CK move to do it. So to not do it...I would say is what the average player would do. Nobody likes a team mate thieving goals from his fellow team mate.

I think the average player would have knocked it in well before you could tell whether or not there was enough on the puck to make it across the line. Kessel could have put that in back when it was still more on the "better safe than sorry" side than the "jerk move" side. We only know it was going to go in because Kessel left it alone and let it.

 

[Damisoph]

Agreed not even sure the puck would have gone in had kessel not tapped it in. Not the same at all...and although I love Kessel...he will never be mistaken for a defensive gem...by any stretch but he is better than he was. Also lets not make too much of him not touching the puck...because thats a real D1CK move to do it. So to not do it...I would say is what the average player would do. Nobody likes a team mate thieving goals from his fellow team mate.

The wings d had his stick up in the air when that puck was at the goal line, there is no way anyone was stopping that puck from going in. But I digress...

Once it became obvious the puck was going in, would have been a huge dick move to touch it. There were a couple moments prior to that Phil could have directed it. Being Toronto, more is being made of it.

 

[hockeyfanz*]

The wings d had his stick up in the air when that puck was at the goal line, there is no way anyone was stopping that puck from going in. But I digress...

Once it became obvious the puck was going in, would have been a huge dick move to touch it.

There was no doubt that empty netter was going in..NONE...and there was no defender in site to stop it...Kessel was closest to the puck. Saying he is a hero because he didn't steal away a goal from his team mate is like saying Im a good husband because I don't beat my wife. Give it a rest. Give Kessel credit where he deserves it and he deserves it in a lot of areas and in a lot of games. This isn't one of them.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Yes, he gets back into the play and doesn't just float at the blueline anymore, but he's not exactly enthusiastic or partically effective at it. He's done enough that people should get off his back about being one-dimensional, but I wouldn't call his defensive play an attribute either.