Kessel won’t be changing style of play
‘I don’t take many penalties’
TORONTO — Don’t take Phil Kessel’s name off the possible candidates for the Lady Byng Trophy just yet.
The Toronto Maple Leafs forward, who was suspended for the final three pre-season games after a slashing incident on Sunday, might be on the NHL’s watch list for repeat offenders now. But when the regular season starts Kessel has no plans of becoming the stick-swinging menace that others have made him out to be during the pre-season.
“I played seven years now and I average something like 20 penalty minutes a year,” said Kessel. “I don’t take many penalties. So I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”
Only three players (Martin St. Louis, Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane) in the top-20 in scoring took fewer penalties than Kessel (nine) last season. However, he has nearly matched that output with 16 penalty minutes in three preseason games.
Five of those minutes were for a fight. Most of the others were for wielding his stick like an axe. Kessel has slashed Philadelphia’s Luke Schenn and Ben Holmstrom. And against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, he took two whacks against Jon Scott before spearing him in the chest.
The latter incident led to a three-game suspension and put Kessel’s name on the watch list. But the Leafs sniper believes it was a unique situation in which he was given little choice but to react in a matter of selfdefence.
Midway through the third period, following a fight between Toronto’s Jamie Devane and Buffalo’s Corey Tropp, Kessel was challenged to a fight from 6-foot-8 and 270-pound enforcer John Scott. In response, Kessel backed away and slashed at Scott’s legs. Moments later, with several of Kessel’s teammates piling on Scott — among those was David Clarkson, who was suspended for 10 regular season games for jumping over the boards — Kessel slashed Scott again and then speared him for good measure.
With the first slash, Kessel said he was defending himself against a much larger opponent. The others were done in the heat of the moment.
“You know what, obviously things happen so quick out there,” said Kessel. “You can slow it down and it makes it looks like it worse. But obviously I shouldn’t have done the second whack, but it happens. Things happen so quick out there that you react. Obviously shouldn’t have done it.
“The second slash, I think from watching, it was probably uncalled for. But like I said, things happen quick. You don’t realize when you’re out there and you’re reacting to stuff, but obviously you just can’t go and two-hand people.”
When asked about those who have criticized Kessel for using his stick as a weapon and not fighting Scott, the Leafs forward had this to say:
“I mean, put them in that situation and see what they do. I think a lot of people can criticize that but let’s see what they can do out there against a guy like that. I think they would be in a lot of trouble.”
For now, Kessel is in trouble. While some have made light of his suspension, going as far as to call missing pre-season games a reward, there is no question a punishment is waiting. After all, head coach Randy Carlyle said now that Kessel is not playing he has more time to practice “really hard.”
“When he says that it’s probably going to be hard,” said Kessel. “I’m not looking forward to his bag skates.”