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Phil Kessel is the NHL’s First Star of the week

phil kessel drafgt

After posting 5G-3A-8PTS in his first three games, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Phil Kessel was named the NHL’s first star for the opening week of the 2011-12 campaign.

Playing on a line with Joffrey Lupul (2G-3A-5PTS) and Tyler Bozak (0G-3A-3PTS) -- a line you can watch tonight as Toronto faces Colorado on Versus -- Kessel has been a key figure in getting the Leafs off to their best start since...last year, when they started 4-0!

But then they missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

But hey, first star of the week!

Moving along...the second star went to New York Islanders C John Tavares, who also posted 5G-3A-8PTS, but over a four-game stretch. The highlight of Tavares’ week was his hat trick against the Rangers (which would’ve been a natural hatty if not for a goal by Brandon Prust). Another highlight for Tavares was almost single-handedly putting P.A. Parenteau into a tie for the NHL assist lead. Seriously -- Parenteau has six assists, which is more than Henrik Sedin and Joe Thornton combined. He should buy Tavares a walk-in humidor or something.

Third star went to Dallas netminder Karti Lehtonen, who posted a 4-0-0 record with a 1.48 GAA against the Blackhawks, Coyotes, Blues and Blue Jackets. Great start for a guy that, in the past, has been besieged by injuries, bad teams and a general disinterest in physical fitness (which would explain the injuries, says Dr. Halford).

The Stars are hopeful that, at age 27, Lehtonen is finally ready to make good on the potential that made him the 2nd overall pick at the 2002 NHL Draft. Remember, Lehtonen twice won the Urpo Ylonen trophy (Finnish League goalie of the year award; it’s more prestigious than the name suggests) before he turned 20. Past Urpo recipients include Niklas Backstrom, Miikka Kiprusoff and Tim Thomas, so winning it twice is a big accomplisment.

[Random aside: The top goalscorer in the Finnish league gets the Aarne Honkavaara trophy, and one year it was won by Arto Javanainen. I felt like you needed to know that.]