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NHL Playoffs: Phil Kessel snipes to give Penguins 2-0 lead (Video)

By Dave Stevenson

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 16: Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal against Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Consol Energy Center on May 16, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 16: Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal against Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Consol Energy Center on May 16, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Phil Kessel was all over a rebound as he drove to the net to make the score 2-0 Penguins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins thought that they were getting an ideal wing for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin when they gave up a sizable bounty, including a 2016 first round pick and top forward prospect Kasperi Kapanen, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Phil Kessel. While Kessel has found himself on the third line with Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin in the playoffs, the Penguins will take that because he’s been extremely productive.

He scored his sixth goal of the 2015-16 postseason after taking advantage of a juicy rebound from Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

That third line has been so dangerous for the Penguins in the postseason. They were the most dominant line in the second round against the Washington Capitals and they’ve been dominant in the series so far against the Lightning. Kessel has been the dynamic forward that the Penguins were looking for, even if it hasn’t been with either of the two centers that they pictured him playing with. He now has 14 points in 13 postseason games during the playoffs this year.

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