Everybody was talking about Phil Kessel in the offseason. That’s because the former Boston Bruin’s salary demands got him traded to Toronto. Last night, Kessel made his debut for the Leafs and was on the wrong end of a highlight reel hit.
Kessel hadn’t played since last year’s Eastern Conference semi-finals due to a bum shoulder. He didn’t show too much rust and was on the ice for a whopping 23:50 in the game. Kessel showed a lot of speed on the play that nearly got him murdered.
In the first period, the American winger collected the puck in his own zone and darted through the neutral zone. He showed good quickness and puckhandling skills and managed to cross the blueline with a head of steam. Unfortunately for Kessel, Mattias Ohlund had him lined up.
Ohlund unleashed a ferocious open-ice hit and put Kessel on his back. The hit was completely clean as Ohlund didn’t leave his feet before making contact, use his elbow/hands, or target his opponent’s head. On the other hand, Kessel committed the cardinal sin in hockey of skating with your head down. You can check out the video of the hit below.
