Nov 26, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing
Phil Kessel(81) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward
Max Pacioretty(67) heads up ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
In my humble opinion this was the hardest of the pairs to decided between. Their games are as different as they are alike, but the main difference between the two players has been the fact that Phil Kessel really does put up more points then only a handful of players in the NHL. That is consistent production for a guy that people often call soft and inconsistent. Meanwhile you have Pacioretty, who is among the league leader in goals over the last few seasons as well. The knock on Pacioretty is that he often goes into slumps where he doesn’t drive the net with regularity and only shoots from the outside. He’s streaky, but when he goes on a tear, he lights the lamp at a rabid pace.
So what would your rather? A consistent point producer who is great on the powerplay or a streaky sniper who is also a top-notch penaltykiller?
Max Pacioretty‘s stat line: 13 goals, 9 assists, 22 points, 3 PP points, +12, 18 pim, 11.8% shooting, 19.08 minutes/game
Phil Kessel‘s stat line: 15 goals. 14 assists, 29 points, 10 PP pointss, -1, 6 pim, 16.1% shooting, 18:22 minutes/game
Next: Who is better? Galchenyuk or Kadri?