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C Ryan Kesler (Anaheim Ducks, 2011 Selke Trophy, All Star)

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Kesler is king of the rink again
Leading from the front, but at least Henrik finally finds the net
By Ben Kuzma, The Province May 6, 2011

Ryan Kesler has modified the grip on his stick to better unleash a wicked wrist shot, but has never modified his attitude of what it takes to prevail in the postseason.

The Vancouver Canucks centre didn't want to take some tempting bait Thursday. He didn't want to talk about what it would mean to make short work of the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference semifinal series. What he did was let his actions do the talking in sticking a dagger in the opposition with a memorable power-play rush to spark a 4-2 victory and prove what the Predators has long feared. They have a squirt-gun power play. The Canucks have a machine gun.

It was the driven Kesler who drove between defencemen Shea Weber and Shane O'Brien and then whipped a shot to the glove side of Pekka Rinne at 7: 28 of the third period to snap a 2-2 draw and provide a 3-1 series lead. Henrik Sedin then sealed the deal with an empty-net goal as the Canucks can clinch the series Saturday at Rogers Arena.

Kesler now has three goals in his last two games and that alone means he knew what was at stake here. He knew what letting the opposition off the mat does. It leaves you open to a strong counter-punch, open to injury, indifferent play and maybe even some self-doubt in expending extra energy.

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Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Kesler+king+rink+again/4737649/story.html#ixzz1LZaO2l7L

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQBqXIyWF-A"]YouTube - Ryan Kesler Does It Again (5/5/11) [HD][/ame]
 
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2 more goals tonight. One of which AFTER getting hit in the face, around the lower lip, with a shot. 6 goals in the first 5 games of this series. As strange as it sounds, I think the best OSU alum in pro sports right now is a hockey player.
 
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TexasBuck;1918766; said:
2 more goals tonight. One of which AFTER getting hit in the face, around the lower lip, with a shot. 6 goals in the first 5 games of this series. As strange as it sounds, I think the best OSU alum in pro sports right now is a hockey player.
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hard to deny Santonio, but apples to oranges...

Go Canucks (unless the wings find a way (not happening) )
 
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Kesler all blood, sweat and guts
Centre's heroics not enough in Game 5, as series heads back to Nashville
By Tony Gallagher, The Province May 8, 2011

History will have to wait.

No one can blame that on Ryan Kesler. Can one forward win a series on his own? He came close Saturday. Unrelenting, physical and offensively lethal, Kesler almost did enough to drag the Canucks across the finish line. But he was dragging too much dead weight.

After talking the talk for two days, too many of the Canucks passed on their opportunity to walk the walk. In torturous fashion, they gave Game 5 away in 4-3 loss that embarrassed anyone who thought this series would be different.

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Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Kesler+blood+sweat+guts/4747201/story.html#ixzz1LlHpfhT3


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1fM-iOXTug"]YouTube - Stone Cold Mason 5/7/11[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSdIdWbtlH0"]YouTube - Kesler Can't Be Stopped 5/7/11[/ame]
 
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Thank God the Blue Jackets draftd Zherdev that year. I mean, they can't find every hockey prospect out there right?

It's not like Kesler was right in their fucking back yard or anything.

They didn't need a C anyway, right?

The Blue Jackets are a joke.

Oh, it's great to see Ryan doing so well.
 
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ysubuck;1918847; said:
Thank God the Blue Jackets draftd Zherdev that year. I mean, they can't find every hockey prospect out there right?

It's not like Kesler was right in their fucking back yard or anything.

They didn't need a C anyway, right?

The Blue Jackets are a joke.

Oh, it's great to see Ryan doing so well.
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doug_maclean_240.jpg
 
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ysubuck;1918847; said:
Thank God the Blue Jackets draftd Zherdev that year. I mean, they can't find every hockey prospect out there right?

It's not like Kesler was right in their fucking back yard or anything.

They didn't need a C anyway, right?

The Blue Jackets are a joke.

Oh, it's great to see Ryan doing so well.
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Hindsight is 20/20. Kesler was taken 23rd overall. Didn't really look like he'd even be that great of a player until a few years ago.

Kesler is the best USA hockey player in the world. Pretty awesome. :oh:
 
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NASHVILLE -- Ryan Kesler was again the dominant force for the Canucks in Game 6, and Nashville coach Barry Trotz took the time to tell the Vancouver forward just that after the game.

"As I said when I was going by him, if he doesn't play that way, we're probably going to Game 7 and we might win this series, but he played to a level that is few people can reach in a series," Trotz said after his Predators were eliminated Monday night.
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http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/7854/ryan-kesler-carries-canucks-to-next-round
 
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The many faces of Ryan Kesler
Canucks superstar is determined, tough, wise, and witty, say those closest to him
By Ian Walker, Vancouver Sun May 13, 2011

ere's the challenge. Reach deep inside the head and heart of Ryan Kesler. Discover exactly what it is that propels the Vancouver Canucks centre and the NHL's newest superstar to the feats of greatness we've seen the past two weeks and throughout the regular season. Peel back the layers of his gruff exterior, one by one, until you reach the very core of the league's leading scorer in the playoffs.

It's no easy task. You could be stranded on a deserted island with the 26-year-old native of Livonia, Mich., and have a better chance of unlocking the mystery of life than getting him to reveal his innermost workings.

But with great problems come creative solutions. So we opted not to talk with Kesler at all. Rather, we reached out to the people that helped shape him as a hockey player and a person.

'HE'S MISUNDERSTOOD'

Aloof, moody, temperamental, irritable, morose, testy and standoffish.

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Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/many+faces+Ryan+Kesler/4777436/story.html#ixzz1MEnTk4pB
 
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Livonia's Ryan Kesler grown into top-notch two-way NHL player
May. 15, 2011
BY GEORGE SIPPLE
DETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

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Canucks center Ryan Kesler of Livonia has five goals and 10 assists in 13 playoff games this season. Vancouver faces San Jose in the Western finals.
GEOFF HOWE/Associated Press

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Ryan Kesler, who put on his first pair of skates at age 4, played on various youth teams. / Courtesy of the Kesler family
Ryan Kesler played for Team USA.

Meet Ryan Kesler
Who: Vancouver center.
Age: 26.
Vitals: 6-2, 202.
Hometown: Livonia.
High school: Livonia Churchill.
College: Ohio State.
How acquired: Selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Canucks in the 2003 entry draft.
Highlights
For the U.S.: Won silver at the 2010 Olympics; has gold medals from U-17, U-18 and junior championships.
In the NHL: Selke Trophy finalist in 2009-11. Scored career-high 41 goals in 2010-11 season and a career-high 75 points in 2009-10.

BY THE NUMBERS
Kesler's 2010-11 statistics:

REG POS
Games 82 13
Goals 41 5
Assists 32 10
Points 73 15
+/- 24 6
PIM 66 6
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Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk tied Vancouver Canucks center and Livonia native Ryan Kesler for the NHL playoff scoring lead with a goal in Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the Sharks in Game 7.

While Datsyuk finished with 15 points in 11 games, Kesler has a chance to add to his already impressive production.

Kesler is the front-runner for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the player judged to be most valuable to his team during the Stanley Cup finals. He has five goals and 10 assists in 13 games and can add to those totals tonight when the Canucks host the Sharks in Game 1 of the Western finals.

Kesler, also a Selke Trophy finalist for the top defensive forward, took his strong two-way game to new heights in helping the Canucks beat the Predators in six games in the Western semifinals. He had five goals and six assists in the series, including game-winning goals in Games 3 and 4. He averaged 25 minutes and had 16 hits, 12 takeaways and blocked six shots. He also won 59% of his draws (105 of 178).

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http://www.freep.com/article/201105...NHL-player?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|s
 
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Video: Ryan Kesler matures and takes his game to a higher level
James O'Brien
May 15, 2011

It’s not exactly as if Ryan Kesler was totally anonymous coming into this season. Kesler really put himself on the hockey map last season when he starred for the U.S. Olympic team (scoring one of the best empty-net goals one can accomplish) and putting up a career-high 75 points.

That being said, the hockey world truly cannot afford to ignore him after he put together an epic set of performances against the Nashville Predators in Round 2. Kesler scored 11 points in that six-game series, averaging almost two points per contest. He didn’t abandon his rugged defensive play and really hammed it up in Nashville, becoming a true villain for a franchise that hasn’t had many notorious foes in their still-brief history.

It’s a bit much to say that Kesler has gone silent in the last few seasons, but as this video shows, the American forward often got carried away with “chirping” early in his career. He’s found a much better compromise between agitation and focus lately, a change of pace that opened things up for him to progress his game substantially.

The Versus video illustrates that transformation, including commentary from Kesler, teammate Daniel Sedin and coach Alain Vigneault.

Video in link...
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http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/...matures-and-takes-his-game-to-a-higher-level/

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7xTbDHT5Yg"]YouTube - RYAN KESLER 2003 DRAFT DAY AND FIRST TRAINING CAMP[/ame]
 
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