Phil Kessel is one of the best players in the NHL. He is a dynamic goal-scorer (again, one of the best in the league) and blessed with exceptional talent.
Phil Kessel has some problems in the shootout
For some reason Phil Kessel just can’t score in the shootout. This is his latest missed attempt, and it’s a bad one.
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sport
You would think that his skill would translate over to the shootout, which is nothing more than a giant skills competition at the end of a tie game.
But the shootout is a strange beast where guys like Matt Hendricks and Adrian Aucoin have for whatever reason excelled over the years, and players like Kessel have struggled. Since joining the Maple Leafs for the 2009-10 season, Kessel is just 5-for-27 in the shootout and has scored on just two of his most recent 20 attempts.
Those struggles continued on Wednesday in Toronto's 2-1 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. That is where Kessel completely missed the net, firing a shot off the end of stick that went hilariously wide of goaltender Josh Harding and the net.
Juuuuuust a bit outside.
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