By Jonathan Bombulie
September 15, 2017
Conditioning drills on the first day of camp have been known to bring even the most fervent fitness fanatic to his knees, but Phil Kessel wasn't worried.
By reputation, Kessel is painted as a guy who hops off his couch, pulls on his skates and starts scoring goals. He made headlines this summer when, on his day with the Stanley Cup, he filled the famous trophy's bowl with hot dogs while playing a round of golf.
But for the second straight offseason — one made painfully short by the length of the previous season's playoff run — Kessel worked out religiously with trainer Gary Roberts. When players began skating laps as the Penguins opened camp Friday morning in Cranberry, Kessel barely broke a sweat.
“You've got to train and train hard to get ready because everyone else is,” Kessel said. “Be ready to go again.”
Whatever Kessel's doing, it's working. Counting the regular season and playoffs, the Penguins have played 213 games over the past two seasons. It's more than any NHL team in a two-year stretch in the history of the league.
Kessel suited up for each and every one of them. He's the only player to do so.
“I always play no matter what, if I'm injured or whatever,” Kessel said. “I'd rather be playing than sitting in the stands.”
And when Kessel's on the ice, he would prefer it be at the side of center Evgeni Malkin.
At this time last year, the Penguins were still hoping Kessel, Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino could reprise their HBK playoff magic from the previous spring. By the end of the year, of course, HBK was a memory and Kessel was stapled to Malkin's hip.
Coach Mike Sullivan didn't use line combinations that are likely to stick throughout the season as camp opened Friday.
Dominik Simon, for instance, was in Conor Sheary's usual spot with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.
But there were Malkin and Kessel, seemingly inseparable, with rookie Zach Aston-Reese skating on their left side.
“Whenever you can get comfortable with a centerman, I think that helps,” Kessel said. “It's hard to jump around, switch lines, switch centermen a lot. I think if you can make chemistry early and stick with someone for a long period of time, it makes it easier out there.”
Kessel might have to get used to a different center at some point this season, of course. Sullivan wouldn't commit to sticking with the pair permanently, and he has been known in his time with the Penguins to prefer a balanced approach to his forward lines.
“What I love about the group we have is we have the ability to move players around,” Sullivan said. “If we spread them and we put our star power on three lines versus two, it creates a whole different dynamic as far as potential matchups for our opponents. Since I've been here, we've gone back and forth with that. My sense is we'll probably continue to go back and forth with that.”
As long as they are together, though, it's an experience Kessel will savor.
Cameras appeared to catch the pair arguing during the conference finals against Ottawa last season, but Kessel said Friday that was a misinterpretation. The linemates have never yelled at each other on the bench, he said.
The day before camp began, in fact, Malkin, Kessel and winger Ryan Reaves were shooting hoops in the parking lot outside the practice rink in between photo sessions.
“We have a good time,” Kessel said. “Me and Geno get along great. We have a great relationship.”
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.comor via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.
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