Kessel Becomes 5th Player to Net 20 Goals in Each of Last 7 Seasons

When Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel put the puck past Arizona Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith in the first period of Thursday's game, he joined a group of just five players to eclipse 20 goals in each of the last seven seasons, per Sportsnet Stats.

Kessel's goal was the Leafs' only score of the game, as they went on to lose, 3-1, in part due to Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson's long-range shot that ended up as the quickest shorthanded goal to start a period in NHL history, per Elias Sports Bureau.

Kessel joined Rick Nash, Alexander Ovechkin, Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos in the group of players to score 20 goals in each of the past seven seasons, but four other players are still eligible to reach the mark by the end of the ongoing campaign, per Hockey-Reference.com.

The former Minnesota Golden Gophers forward finished Thursday's contest with the one goal on six shots over 20 minutes, 41 seconds of ice time. The milestone was a rare positive in Toronto, as the Maple Leafs lost their eighth straight tilt, moving the team to 22-24-4 on the season.

One thing needed to reach 20 goals in seven straight seasons is the ability to stay healthy, and Kessel has never struggled in that department. The 27-year-old winger has played least 70 games in every season of his nine-year career, with the exception of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign in which he squeaked by with exactly 20 goals in a full 48 games.

In fact, Kessel has not missed a game since 2009-10, his first season in Toronto.

Sitting 10 points out of a wild-card spot, the Leafs aren't completely out of contention for a postseason berth, but they'll need a huge second half from Kessel to have any shot at qualifying.