Everyone's a blogger these days, including Pittsburgh's Jeff Zatkoff.
The Penguins' third-string goaltender is writing for NHL.com during the Stanley Cup Final, and he dropped an interesting nugget in his reaction to Game 2 about what he expected to be a joyous flight to San Jose.
This is a big one for us. It's only two, but it's nice to protect your home ice. Now we go there and it should make for a better flight coming off a "W."
So now I'll get to play some cards on the flight with Phil Kessel, Chris Kunitz and Nick Bonino. It's a long one so we'll have lots of time to hustle Phil. He thinks he's a player, but I think the guys in Toronto let him win because he hasn't won much this year.
Phil talks a big game. He's the No. 4 ranked player at the table out of four. This should be a great flight.
Kessel spent six seasons with the Maple Leafs, losing a hell of a lot more games than he won. Toronto made the playoffs once during No. 81's time with the club, losing to the Boston Bruins - the team that drafted him and traded him to the Maple Leafs - in a memorable seven-game series. Yes, it was 4-1 in Game 7 for the Maple Leafs.
Based on what Kessel went through in Toronto, Zatkoff's theory makes sense. He had to take wins where he could, even if they were given to him.
Acquired by the Penguins last summer, it appears a very happy ending may be in store for Kessel, in the form of a Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh's two wins away, with five games left to turn the trick, and he leads the club in playoff scoring with 19 points in 20 games.
Phil Kessel, Stanley Cup winner. Phil Kessel, Conn Smythe Trophy candidate. Phil Kessel, terrible cards player. Yeah, he'll take that, we think.
