fast track to medal
(has been a big plus). . . . We’re trying to put him in situations that play to his strengths and feed him the puck when he’s got the feel going.”
Four years ago in Vancouver, Kessel was not much of a factor, but he has evolved into a different player. For all his speed and skill, he has been regarded as a player who was content to fire his missiles from the circle and not do much hard attacking of the net, his M.O. seeming to change in the Leafs’ heart-wrenching comefrom-ahead loss to the Bruins in last year’s playoffs, when he had four goals and two assists in seven games.
U.S. captain Zach Parise, another veteran of Vancouver, sees a marked difference in Kessel.
“Not that I’d say he was onedimensional but I think he’s playing more all over the rink. I think he’s playing with more confidence. He’s always (had speed), but it’s almost like he’s found an extra gear. He’s playing fantastic for us.”
Kessel’s sister, Amanda, the winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award — women’s college hockey’s player of the year honor — last year at Minnesota, has been a potent force for the U.S. women’s team, with three goals and three assists in four games.
The family still hasn’t figured out where the hockey genes came from; father Phil Sr. was a recordsetting quarterback at Northern Michigan and played for the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL before an unsuccessful tryout with the Redskins.
But nobody is worrying about it right now, with the U.S. men set for the quarterfinals, and the women set to play Canada in the title game Thursday night.
“There is definitely room for two gold medals in the family,” Amanda Kessel said.