****ing disgusting the hate in here, and you wonder why players aren't just lining up to play in Toronto. KESSEL did his ****ing job, put the puck in the net, it's not his fault he can't play defense as well and make up for every Phaneuf turnover at the blue line or Schenn bobble, or Gus big 5 hole. He is not only going to hit 40 (predicting it to happen) but he's improved his playmaking. Some of you people are never happy with a positive in this season.
He's always been a good passer, it just didn't show up playing with players like Crabb and a rookie in Bozak.
Kessel is an important part of the Leafs as with any top scoring winger on any team. The leafs just need a top line center for him. Of course a center isn't what the Leafs only need but still fills a big hole on the team.
Kessel sits 5th in points and 3rd in goals with approximately 15 games left in the season. The Leafs have one of the best offensive players in the entire league, at age 24, for a cap hit of 5.4M.
Not only is he playing with the pressure of being a Toronto Maple Leaf, he is playing with the pressure of trying to live up to the Tyler Seguin/Dougie Hamilton trade. By some MIRACLE, his play has made it possible for us to actually argue who got the best player in the deal. He has NEVER been a gritty player; he was born to score. Why the hell would we expect him to suddenly become Loui Eriksson???
Leaf fans are the ****ing worst. What an embarrassment it is to be a fan sometimes.
When I read all the crap Kessel takes from the geniuses around here, I can almost agree with you.
3rd in goals, 5th in points, and people "can't wait to trade him".
all you can do is laugh, really.
People want him to be something that he's not. So he's a softy, but I'll take a softy who scores 40+ goals anytime. Lupul is a good big winger for him, but for that line to become most successful is that centre.
Kessel sits 5th in points and 3rd in goals with approximately 15 games left in the season. The Leafs have one of the best offensive players in the entire league, at age 24, for a cap hit of 5.4M.
Not only is he playing with the pressure of being a Toronto Maple Leaf, he is playing with the pressure of trying to live up to the Tyler Seguin/Dougie Hamilton trade. By some MIRACLE, his play has made it possible for us to actually argue who got the best player in the deal. He has NEVER been a gritty player; he was born to score. Why the hell would we expect him to suddenly become Loui Eriksson???
Leaf fans are the ****ing worst. What an embarrassment it is to be a fan sometimes.
this is hfboards. people aren't happy if forwards can't play defense and when defensemen can't play offense. every player in every team should be a 2 way force. it's not a ridiculous expectation at all
this is hfboards. people aren't happy if forwards can't play defense and when defensemen can't play offense. every player in every team should be a 2 way force. it's not a ridiculous expectation at all
the problem right now expectations of kessel are too high
he is our star player, star attraction, and people are expecting some 2- way play
he is like our gaborik
i think the problem will get solved once kessel becomes the 2nd best player on our team, when ever that is
if we can get a complete #1 C to cover up some of kessel's mistakes, it'll go a long way to taking the spot light off of him
this is hfboards. people aren't happy if forwards can't play defense and when defensemen can't play offense. every player in every team should be a 2 way force. it's not a ridiculous expectation at all
Kessel sits 5th in points and 3rd in goals with approximately 15 games left in the season. The Leafs have one of the best offensive players in the entire league, at age 24, for a cap hit of 5.4M.
Not only is he playing with the pressure of being a Toronto Maple Leaf, he is playing with the pressure of trying to live up to the Tyler Seguin/Dougie Hamilton trade. By some MIRACLE, his play has made it possible for us to actually argue who got the best player in the deal. He has NEVER been a gritty player; he was born to score. Why the hell would we expect him to suddenly become Loui Eriksson???
Leaf fans are the ****ing worst. What an embarrassment it is to be a fan sometimes.
It's like you cut-and-pasted from my thoughts.
Why can people not enjoy this? We get to watch a star player put pucks past the other goalie. It's great. I'm counting down how many goals till 40! Do you people not remember when Jason Blake led the team with only 25 goals? What about when Sundin and Antropov were the only Leafs to score over 20?
this is hfboards. people aren't happy if forwards can't play defense and when defensemen can't play offense. every player in every team should be a 2 way force. it's not a ridiculous expectation at all
Kessel sits 5th in points and 3rd in goals with approximately 15 games left in the season. The Leafs have one of the best offensive players in the entire league, at age 24, for a cap hit of 5.4M.
Not only is he playing with the pressure of being a Toronto Maple Leaf, he is playing with the pressure of trying to live up to the Tyler Seguin/Dougie Hamilton trade. By some MIRACLE, his play has made it possible for us to actually argue who got the best player in the deal. He has NEVER been a gritty player; he was born to score. Why the hell would we expect him to suddenly become Loui Eriksson???
Leaf fans are the ****ing worst. What an embarrassment it is to be a fan sometimes.
Wow. By the looks of this thread we might as well trade Kessel for Tim Brent. He's good defensively and can go in the corners, man.
Grats Kesseellllll!
70PTS would be a whole lot more impressive if he was born in Toronto. Sure, he might hit 40 goals this year but who cares? 40 goals from Wisconsin just does not compare to 40 from Rexdale.
Just as you would not expect David Steckel to put up 70 points, don't expect Phil Kessel to put up a stellar defensive game. Certain players excel at certain facets of the game. That's why it's called a team sport.
Some of the negativity in here is ****ing ridiculous!
Sure, Phil is not a physical force, but to act like every goal that goes in while he is on the ice is directly his fault is ignorant and foolish.
The Leafs have a number of short comings, and to think Phil a Right Winger can be responsible for every defensive gaf, goalie blunder, etc. is just plain stupid.
At the end of the day he still manges to only be -2 throughout this mess.
Congrats Phil!
I look forward to him continuing to grow and mature as a player. The guy is only 24 years old and beginning to breakout into an elite NHL talent.
So you're saying we only need a PPG+ player if he plays both ends effectively? Let's just call up a GM who has one of those and he'll likely be glad to trade him to Toronto..
No I'm saying that the only way for people to stop *****ing about Kessel is if he wasn't such a defensive liability. Basically, we're never going to hear the end of "Phil Kessel isn't good enough (insert reason here)"
No I'm saying that the only way for people to stop *****ing about Kessel is if he wasn't such a defensive liability. Basically, we're never going to hear the end of "Phil Kessel isn't good enough (insert reason here)"
Well it is true unfortunately for Kessel because leaf fans were spoiled for years with Sundin, or Gilmour or Clark etc. Kessel is a very gifted player but probably doesn't fit the leaf archetype. He does have defensive issues at times, is not gritty like clark or have edge like gilmour and he doesn't have the size (or cluth performance in OT or last three minutes of play) that Sundin has.
