On Pro Hockey

Mike McMahon

BOSTON — Phil Kessel is turning into the sniper that the Bruins need him to be.

In last night's 2-1 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kessel was both the Bruins' only goal scorer in regulation as well as the shootout (which saw the B's fall 2-1 in six rounds).

It all started last spring, when Kessel was benched by head coach Claude Julien after Game 1 of a playoff series against the top-seeded Montreal Canadiens. Kessel was labeled as soft. But after being reinserted into the lineup in Game 5, he was the most dominant player on the ice, period.

The move undoubtedly lit a spark under the 21-year-old forward, and the momentum has carried over.

Through the first five games of the regular season, Kessel has once again been the B's best goal scorer, netting five to lead the team. In fact, he's already over a quarter of the way to last season's total of 19.

Forget trade rumors, which Kessel was a part of most of the summer when it was being rumored that the Bruins were in the market for another defenseman.

"I had something to prove in the playoffs last year, but it was more about just getting back to basics," Kessel said of the momentum with which he ended last season. "You just have to keep working hard and you'll get rewarded. Sure, you want that momentum to carry over, but it just doesn't happen automatically."

Including last year's playoffs, Kessel has eight goals and two assists in his last eight games. That's the player that management thought it drafted with the No. 5 overall pick three seasons ago.

When Kessel was forced to take a seat last season, it appeared that he was on his way out of town. But Kessel has silenced the critics. He's now indispensable.

"It's a lot of things, but it's the normal evolution of maturing as a pro," said head coach Claude Julien. "He has produced. It's about being able to deal with it and deal with what his role is. His production has been very good, obviously. He was probably putting too much pressure on himself last year."

Julien added, "He has more experience, and he's got another year under his belt. His confidence level is obviously higher. There are a lot of things that come into play, but his whole demeanor on and off the ice is going in the right direction."

Kessel was rewarded with a spot on the top line in the second period alongside setup man Marc Savard.

"We're trying to generate offense," Julien said. "Savvy has had the hot stick and obviously Phil is playing extremely well."

With about six minutes remaining in last night's second period, Andrew Ference fed Kessel at the top of the circle and lured Evengeni Malkin to roll to the middle which allowed the third-year forward to skate into the slot with authority before unleashing a blistering wrist shot that Pittsburgh goaltender Danny Sabourin never saw go over his shoulder.

"I'm not doing anything different," Kessel said. "It's all about just trying to help our team win. You just need to get open and finish your chances. It's a confidence boost."

Just a few short months ago, Kessel's career was a far cry from his days with the U.S. National Development Program. He set Team USA's scoring record, which still stands today, and there was even talk that Kessel would have a better NHL career than last night's counterpart, Sidney Crosby, who was widely considered to be the best prospect drafted into the league since Wayne Gretzky.

It was just two years ago that Crosby was the future of Canadian hockey, and Kessel the future of hockey in the States. But then came Kessel's rookie campaign with just 29 points while Crosby was posting 120. It appeared obvious, Kessel was a bust.

But the disappointing rookie campaign can't all be blamed on the former Minnesota Golden Gopher; after all, it was part of the uninspiring Dave Lewis one-year reign that Bruins fans would like to forget and it was interrupted for a bit when he underwent surgery for testicular cancer.

"He's been more consistent on the ice," said Julien. "He's feeling like he's even more a part of the team being a third-year veteran, and he's acting that way as well. "

Kessel has silenced the trade rumors. Now, when he hears his named mentioned in rumors, it should be about a contract extension for the impending restricted free agent. If this is the type of player Kessel is going to be, then the Bruins have a superstar on their hands.

Mike McMahon is an Eagle-Tribune sports writer. E-mail him at mmcmahon@eagletribune.com