Dawn of the Phil Kessel Era: What We Learned from His First Game as a Leaf

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The more things change, the more they stay the same.

For the fourth straight game the Leafs were tied after 60 minutes and went into overtime, and for the fourth straight time the Leafs lost in or after that extra frame.

But all is not lost. In fact, things are looking up in Leaf land with points in five-straight games, and the addition of Phil Kessel, who finally made his debut in the lineup Tuesday night against Tampa Bay.

He played exceptionally well, recording 10 shots and causing problems around the Tampa net all night. His speed and skill with the puck were on display every time he stepped on the ice, but he just couldn't light the lamp as the Leafs fell 2-1 in overtime.

Needless to say, Kessel's performance was better than you would expect for someone who hasn't played a game in six months, not to mention for a brand new team. Ron Wilson suggested prior to the game that he would ease the 21-year-old into game action, but it turned out to be the complete opposite.

Kessel was on the ice for almost 24 minutes—two minutes longer than the next highest Leaf, Jason Blake. So he wasn't exactly slowly introduced back into the heat of battle, but he sure looked good, even after taking a monstrous hit from Bolts blue-liner Mattias Ohlund on his third shift of the game.

Leaf fans, we finally got to see game one of the Kessel Era, and other than not getting on the score sheet, we saw him play an excellent game fitting in well with his new line mates.

So what did we learn, and what can we expect to see from here on in with Kessel as a member of the blue and white?

Let's dive right in, shall we?

Shots, Shots, and More Shots

And I'm not talking about Lil' Jon's annoying new song. No, I'm talking about constant rubber aimed at opposing goalies. The Leafs have eclipsed the 30-shot mark in eight-straight games, launching 41 against Tampa, and with the newest Leaf firing at will, you can bet the shots will keep on coming.

Between Kessel and his line mates, Stajan and Blake, they had a combined 16 shots and were buzzing around the net all game.

Once Kessel has completely rounded back into form and starts putting some of those shots into the net, because you know it’s going to happen soon, the Leafs can expect to be able to hang with most teams on most nights when it comes to the goal department.

More Ice Time for Certain Players

For almost 24 minutes, Kessel was out on the ice on Tuesday night, which means that someone has got to be playing with him. Whoever those players end up being, they can expect to start receiving more time on the ice than they've been getting.

Both Stajan and Blake saw their ice-time increase, each playing more minutes than they have all year, while skating alongside Kessel for most of the night. Both players have struggled coming out of the gate (the two combining for only four goals and 14 points on the season so far) and will get all the opportunity in the world to come out of their slide.

If neither player sees much of an improvement while playing more minutes with a much more skilled player than their used to, you can bet that Wilson will do some line-juggling to find someone who is capable of stepping it up alongside Kessel.

And Less Ice Time for Others

Of course, with Kessel coming in and playing big minutes, it means that someone else is forced to play less. Who that ends up being is yet to be seen, but it was clear who was most affected in Tuesday's game.

Niklas Hagman was hovering around the 19-minute mark in most games coming into the matchup against Tampa Bay. He had been the Leafs' most potent weapon so far in the young season, leading in goals with six through the first 12 games.

But once Kessel came in and played some serious minutes, Hagman saw his ice time decrease heavily. He only played 14:31 in a game that included a few minutes of overtime, clearly not seen by the coach as the go-to man now.

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