The scoring pace of Phil Kessel has continued from a torrid pace with the Maple Leafs in January, to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, as the Toronto sniper scored a natural hat trick in a 5-1 victory over Team USA over Slovenia on Sunday.
Kessel scored the opening goal for the Americans just 1:04 into the first period, using his speed and deception to get past a defender and put the puck through the five hole of Slovenian goalie Luka Gracner. Less than three minutes later, Toronto's leading scorer tallied again, heading to the net and batting a Joe Pavelski pass out of mid-air into the goal.
Leafs teammate James van Riemsdyk assisted on Kessel's third goal of the game, deflecting a Pavelski point shot that went directly to his line mate, who was open at the side of the net.
The Madison, WI native has scored four goals in three games and leads Team USA with seven points, while Van Riemsdyk has four assists.
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One noticeable face caught by CBC cameras celebrating the US shootout win over Russia on Saturday was Brian Burke, who is part of Team USA's management staff as well as being running the show with the Calgary Flames.
The former Leafs President and GM has to be looking at the exploits of Kessel and van Riemsdyk in Sochi and in Toronto with a sense of accomplishment and pride. The deal with Boston will always be the centerpiece of Burke's tenure in Toronto, but since Kessel's performance against the Bruins last May and the Tyler Seguin trade to Dallas last summer, most observers think that the Leafs broke even or got the better of the trade.
Burke never got to see van Riemsdyk play in Toronto, as he was dismissed from his post with the Leafs before the start of the lockout shortened season, but his acquisition in June 2012 gave Toronto a big skilled top six forward and a perfect complement to Kessel in exchange for a good but limited defenseman in Luke Schenn.
The best thing about the trade is that van Riemsdyk is locked up until 2017-18 because of a six-year contract extension signed while with the Flyers in 2011. While the likes of Thomas Vanek, Ryan Callahan and Mike Cammalleri are likely to get north of $6 Million in free agency this summer, the Leafs will have a younger, bigger and equally talented player on their roster for the "bargain" of $4.25 Million per season.
His personality and language was sometimes abrasive, his interactions with many in the media were troublesome and his free agent signings were questionable, but Leaf fans should be thanking Burke for assembling the core of their franchise for the next decade.
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