Monday's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final was dominated by the play of Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.
The pair of Toronto Maple Leafs castoffs are clicking with their new clubs in the 2017 postseason - Kessel with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phaneuf with the Ottawa Senators - after becoming casualties of Toronto general manager Brendan Shanahan's rebuild movement.
Kessel was shipped out in the summer of 2015 for a package that included a first-round pick and Kasperi Kapanen, while Phaneuf was moved in a nine-player swap with Ottawa in February 2016.
Related: 5 takeaways from a spirited Pens-Sens Game 2
Take this in for minute: Two major trades involving three different teams and 15 different players actually panned out for all sides involved. That rarely happens in pro sports, and few expected Phaneuf or Kessel to excel like they have with their new franchises.
Of course, playing behind superstars - Erik Karlsson in Ottawa and Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh - has taken the pressure off Phaneuf and Kessel, and is a positive factor that neither enjoyed while members of the Maple Leafs.
The duo were chastised in Toronto for, among other things, lacking passion, leadership, and the will to win. It's safe to say that after Monday's gritty performance from both men, neither will be questioned about their character for the foreseeable future.
Phaneuf nearly ended Bryan Rust's life, Kessel scored the game-winning goal, and each player was easily their respective team's best skater in Pittsburgh's Game 2 shutout victory.
Their strong play is more of the same after gutsy performances in the previous two rounds.
| Player | GP | Goals | Assists | Plus/Minus | Average ice time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kessel | 14 | 6 | 8 | +10 | 17:56 |
| Phaneuf | 14 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 23:47 |
With checkered pasts behind them and the Cup looming, both former All-Stars and whipping boys will continue to be counted on heavily by their respective coaches - as their ice time already suggests.
Goals have been at a premium in this tight-checking series, so expect more of the same Wednesday night in Game 3, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET.
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