Leafs’ Kessel has U.S. on

SOCHI, Russia — He wears No. 81 for the United States, hates talking about himself and is currently the hottest hockey player you will find anywhere. From the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to the Bolshoy Ice Dome here, Phil Kessel, a winger with electrifying speed and skill to match, keeps piling up points the way snow is piling up back home.

He had 10 goals and 12 assists in his last 13 games with the Maple Leafs before his Olympic hiatus. He is the leading scorer in the Olympic tournament, with four goals and three assists in three games, including a hat trick in his previous game against Slovenia.

As the undefeated U.S. heads into the Olympic quarterfinals against the Czech Republic Wednesday night, Kessel, a 26-year-old from Madison, Wis., will aim to keep the production going, no matter how unimpressed he is by it.

“In these tournaments, (my scoring) doesn’t matter. You’re here to win hockey games and win medals,” Kessel said. “What you do doesn’t matter. It’s what your team does.”

It surely hasn’t hurt Kessel that he is on a line here with the same winger he plays with in Toronto, James van Riemsdyk, pride of Middletown, N.J., along with center Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks. They have combined for 15 points, developing a quick chemistry.

“He’s been tremendous,” van Riemsdyk said of Kessel. “It’s not surprising. He’s a great player.”

Added Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonough: “(Kessel) is on this team for that reason. He’s one of the fastest skaters for sure, and has a quick release on his shot, and the chemistry he has with van Riemsdyk