By BARRY DAVIS
sportsnet.ca
It has been a long six months, but the wait has finally ended.
Tonight Phil Kessel will make his much anticipated debut with the Maple Leafs and is already being looked upon as a guy who can turn this team around.
“Obviously there’s pressure here in the city, I knew it before I came here. I’m just going to take it in stride and do the best I can do” said the 22-year old who will play on a line with centre Matt Stajan and left winger Jason Blake tonight at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kessel, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum back on May 21st, is coming off a career season with the Bruins where he scored 36 goals.
For him to remain productive though he needs someone to feed him the puck, something Marc Savard did quite well in Boston. That job now falls into the hands of Stajan, who’s up for the challenge of being a playmaker for their new sniper.
“I don’t think any of us are going to try and be a player that we’re not”, said Stajan. “I mean we’re not going to try and be Marc Savard, we’re just going to do what we do best. Hopefully that will compliment the guys we’re playing with, Phil included” said the Leafs’ centre.
Ron Wilson says he’ll keep a close eye on his minutes tonight and make sure he doesn’t push himself too much in his first game back.
“I hope everybody doesn’t expect a whole lot out of Phil right off the bat. I think he’ll make some great plays. I told Phil its all right now about getting your timing and relaxing and don’t think about scoring. He knows, as a goal socrer, when that’s all you’re thinking about rarely do you score,” said Wilson.
While the coach and his teammates plan to give him time to settle in, the same can’t be said for most fans. But when you consider the the Leafs have just one win in their first 12 games and had to give up two first round picks and one second to get Kessel, can you really blame the fans for their lack of patience?
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