Kessel sibling rivalry is alive and well: 'Maybe we're even now,' Amanda says
Kevin Allen | USA TODAY Sports
GANGNEUNG, South Korea— Would you rather take your chances with Pittsburgh Penguins star Phil Kessel in a shootout during an NHL game or his sister Amanda in a shootout in the Olympics?
That’s not an easy question to answer for anyone who watched the USA’s 3-2 shootout win against Canada in the Olympic women’s gold medal game.
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Kessel, 10th in the NHL scoring race with 66 points, has one of the quickest shot releases. But Amanda showed she also owns the Kessel shooting DNA when she snapped a wicked shot past goalie Shannon Szabados to tie the shootout 2-2.
Contributing a key goal and winning a gold medal is particularly meaningful to Amanda because she had a two-year struggle with concussion issues after the 2014 Olympics.
“It’s was just battling through it,” Kessel said. “Our whole team battled through a lot. You can’t see it on the outside, but the heart that every girl on this team has – I knew we had it within us to win.”
Phil tweeted after the win that he was proud of Amanda and the entire U.S. team.
While Kessel has played a starring role in back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins, he only owns a silver Olympic medal (2010).
Proving that sibling rivalry is still alive and fun, Amanda said: “Maybe we’re even now.”
Amanda Kessel receives words of encouragment from her brother Phil
GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) _ The night before she played for the Olympic women's hockey gold medal, Amanda Kessel looked at her phone and saw text messages from her brother, Phil, offering encouragement.
"Just, 'Proud of you no, matter what,' and he believes in me," Kessel said.
Kessel hadn't yet checked her phone in the minutes after she and the United States beat Canada 3-2 in a shootout for the gold medal in an instant classic between the sport's two powerhouses.
Phil tweeted he was proud of his sister and all of Team USA.
Amanda Kessel was one of three U.S. players to score on Canada goalie Shannon Szabados in the shootout, making a difference four years after she was injured during the Sochi Games.
"It's just battling through a lot," Kessel said. "Our entire team battled through a lot. You can't see it on the outside, but the heart that every single girl has on this team, I knew we had it within us to win."
Amanda Kessel now has one more goal medal than Phil, who took home silver while playing for the United States in Vancouver in 2010, when it lost to Canada on Sidney Crosby's golden goal.
Phil Kessel won the Stanley Cup the past two seasons with Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators 2-0 in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Credit: Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Asked if this meant she had one up on her brother, Amanda Kessel said: "I don't know. Maybe we're even."
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