Ryan Kesler Is A Bit Of A Puzzle

Ryan Kesler is another player that people either love or hate.  But I always wonder where the hate comes from.  While he plays hard, he is almost always on the “right” side of the law.  And he has never been suspended.

I think he has been a good fit for Anaheim.  Even through all the taunting he receives for being one of the cleanest dirty players around.

What do you think?  (If you need more data, check out the video below.)

Puck Daddy’s perspective:

There’s a distinct and noticeable difference between regular season Ryan Kesler with the Anaheim Ducks and playoff Ryan Kesler in Southern California, at least from the time when he’s visible to the media.

In the regular season, he was relaxed. He was laid back. Ask him a question and he’ll quip, he’ll give insight, he’ll be playful.

On the ice he played a tough game, but didn’t engage in a ton of extracurriculars.

Move to the playoffs, and Kesler changes. His answers become one-worded. He plays into a media conspiracy – that we make him out to be the ‘bad guy.’ On the ice, he’s a massive pain in the butt. He taunts the crowd that boos him for most of the game.

To borrow terms from two great movies, his turd blossom amps go to 11.

And it’s awesome. It’s fun to watch. It’s sports entertainment at its finest. And most importantly for the Ducks, it helps Anaheim win. Kesler has three goals and five points so far for the Ducks and has won 62 percent of his face offs, mostly while being matched up against the opponent’s top lines between the Jets in the first round and through one game against the Flames in Round 2. The Ducks take a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 Sunday.

“Someone has to be the villain, right, that’s why you guys play it up to be. If we’re the villain then so be it,” Kesler says with a smirk.

To read more of Josh Cooper’s summary, click here.

And stick around to see Kesler’s top 5 goals.