Penguins' Kessel trying to find offensive rhythm

By foxsports
Published

When Phil Kessel was acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason, fans were quick to play the guessing game as to just how many goals he'd score while paired with either captain Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

Well, Kessel's season hasn't been as explosive as some envisioned with the five-time 30-goal scorer having tallied just three times in 21 games heading into Thursday's tilt with the Keystone State-rival Philadelphia Flyers. Kessel, however, showed there still is some spark in his game as he scored twice for his third multi-goal performance of the season in the Penguins' 4-3 victory over the Flyers.

Via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"I know my job with this team is to score goals and make plays and help us on the offensive end. It's always good when you get a couple to go in. You get a little confidence. I've always been a guy who, when I get a couple, they come in bunches. You've just got to stick with it. You know they'll eventually come."

They came at a good time on Thursday, as Kessel converted a pass from Crosby for a power-play goal in the second period and finished a 2-on-1 rush with new linemate Carl Hagelin 6:20 into the third to give the Penguins a 4-2 lead.

Signed through the 2021-22 season, Kessel's 14 goals rank third on the team behind Malkin (20) and Crosby (15). His 15 assists are nine shy of the contingent of Malkin, Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang for Pittsburgh (22-17-7), which hosts the Vancouver Canucks (20-17-11) on Saturday.

Kessel was acquired with forward Tyler Biggs, defenseman Tim Erixon and a 2016 second-round selection from Toronto on July 1. The Maple Leafs received forwards Nick Spaling, Kasperi Kapanen, blue-liner Scott Harrington and first- and third-round picks in the upcoming draft.