Maple Leafs coach Carlyle quiet on Kessel's status
Thursday night was the third time in three games that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel registered less than 16 minutes of ice time, causing some commotion that the Leafs leading scorer is dealing with an injury.
Kessel played just 15:27 against the Nashville Predators on Thursday, three and a half minutes below his season average of 18:57. The lowered usage combined with the fact that he missed practice earlier this week has many speculating that Kessel is playing through an injury.
Leafs' head coach Randy Carlyle didn't go into specifics when asked if Kessel was hurting, opting to shift focus to the entire team.
Asked whether Kessel was banged up, Carlyle said, "I think all our players have bumps and bruises. They all have their ailments."
— Jonas Siegel (@jonasTSN1050) November 22, 2013
Kessel has 12 goals and 21 points for the Leafs this season, and will need to be healthy and contributing if the team hopes to carry their early-season success through the rest of the year.
Toronto gets Friday off before hosting the Washington Capitals on Saturday.