Phil The Burn (Phil Kessel)

Election season is a few months away but is America ready to Phil the Burn this Spring?

Phil Kessel scored two more goals last night in Pittsburgh's dismantling of the Nashville Predators.

Here is his 70 flex stick doing everything that it was meant to do.

Shots like that are what gifs were created for.

Kessel has four goals in his last four games.

Pittsburgh is straight rolling teams now

The Eastern Conference better hope the Penguins are knocked out before Evgeni Malkin gets back because the level of hockey Pittsburgh is playing at is remarkably high and that of a true contender.

As has been stated over and over the coaching change can't be credited enough. Mike Sullivan is pushing the right buttons and most of it is not complicated at all. Earlier in the year while Mike Johnston was still coaching I strongly suggested multiple times that he has to let the team be who they are and that was an offensive minded team that needed to take some chances. The new coach has installed that mantra into the team's thought process and the results have been both successful and entertaining which is why people watch hockey in the first place

Jason Mackey of DK On Pittsburgh Sports had a great article with a lot of Mike Sullivan quotes

This was my favorite passage from the story:

“I do trust them,… Sullivan said. “They’re good players. I also know that there’s inherent risk in playmaking. We’re not going to be perfect out there. If we’re turning pucks over all over the ice, that becomes a problem. What I try to do is focus on the process and the thought process of what our players are going through. Sometimes players have the right idea. They just don’t execute. We can live with that because that’s the game.

“We want our players to be creative. We want them to be in their instinctive mindset. That’s when they’re at their best. If I bark at them every time a puck is turned over, we’re going to be afraid to make plays out there. We have to allow our players to play. We have to relinquish some control.…

As a player that is all you can ask for.

Letang Norris Watch: Kris Letang scored a power play goal and added an assist while being a 58% possession player at even-strength. Business as usual.

Nick Bonino had a goal and an assist and is really starting to find his footing with the Penguins even if it took most of the season. It isn't always easy to deal with going to a new team, having that new team make a coaching changes and then have an injury that causes you to miss a big chunk of time, but it appears like Bonino is finally making a successful adjustment.

In the first 27 games of the season under Johnston Bonino had three goals and six points. In the 31 games Bonino has been healthy under Mike Sullivan he has five goals and 18 points. His even-strength points per 60 is at 2.6 under Sullivan which is tremendous.

Sidney Crosby quietly picked up another point which gives him 80 on the year. If he wants to make a legitimate run at the Hart he is going to have to start racking up some more multi-point games in the final stretch. Jamie Benn has 14 points in his last ten games and now has 87 on the year.

Marc-Andre Fleury a career milesone last night

Is there a way I can say that Marc-Andre Fleury's seven years of 35 wins is very impressive, but also that I don't consider goalie wins the mark of a Hall of Fame goalie (which some people are doing)? This speaks to Fleury's durability over the years and his ability to play slightly above average for many of those years while also playing for one of the league's best teams during that time frame.

What is more important is that Fleury may be having his best season since his career year of 2007-08 which will make the Penguins even tougher to knock out of the playoffs

All three players (Hornqvist, Kunitz, Neal) from myguess who exercise yesterday found the score sheet. Neal had a goal and an assist, Hornqvist had a goal, and Kunitz had an assist.

Another day another Jagr Milestone

Pittsburgh will take on the Islanders at 1 PM tomorrow to see if they can make it 12 wins in their last 13 games.

Thanks for reading!

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