The past week was not the brightest for Russian hockey players in the NHL, but there are true values in hockey: Ovechkin’s records, for example. Or the bright performance of the “Russian troika” from St. Louis. “MK-Sport” chooses the five brightest of our league players for the week.
The past week can be called one of the most inexpressive and ineffective for Russian hockey players playing in the NHL. However, it is always possible to single out several players who kept the level.
5. Alexander Ovechkin (Washington): 4 points (2 + 2) in three games [Ovechkin]
Of the Russians playing for the capital club, this week most often recalled Yevgeny Kuznetsov , who became a news hero when the International Ice Hockey Federation officially confirmed that his disqualification for cocaine remained in force, and the Washington center forward would not get to the Beijing Olympics. [Ovechkin]
Against this background, even the star captain of the Washington team was remembered less often, and meanwhile, Alexander Ovechkin continues to score points with enviable regularity. This season, he perfectly reveals himself as an assistant and has more assists to his account than goals scored. Thanks to this, he was able to briefly even lead the league’s bombing race.
It is worth saying that this happens to him extremely rarely. The longtime leader of Washington has won the Art Ross Trophy (the prize given to the most productive player of the season) only once in 2008. That year, he scored 112 points on the goal + pass system. And in the current regular season he has a unique opportunity to repeat his achievement. Now the hockey player has already 47 points (22 + 25), despite the fact that there is still a whole half of the season ahead. So we will wait for the continuation.
In addition, having scored the puck in his last game against Winnipeg, he came out on top in the number of goals in the starting 30 games of the season for players aged 36 and over.
4. Alexander Romanov (Montreal): 2 points (1 + 1) in three games [Ovechkin]
Montreal, after a successful past playoffs, where they reached the Stanley Cup final, continues to crash and are now the last in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Russian defender of the Canadiens, Alexander Romanov , still manages to show a good game. The grandson of Zinetula Bilyaletdinov scored the second goal of the season, thereby repeating his sniper record in his overseas career.
The utility score for these three matches leaves much to be desired – “minus one”. However, it is very difficult to keep it positive when playing in the most skipping team in the league.
3. Valery Nichushkin (Colorado): 3 points (3 + 0) in three games [Ovechkin]
Valery Nichushkin gained a cruising speed and continues to demonstrate scoring feats. Three goals in three games is a very solid result. Now the 26-year-old striker has 10 of them in 18 games. He looks quite confident in the second line of one of the strongest clubs in the NHL and demonstrates perhaps the best hockey of his career. Such a player will definitely not get lost in our team at the upcoming Olympic Games. This is a fairly versatile forward who is able to be useful at any level and in conjunction with any partners.
Nichushkin is an example of a player who managed not to wither after two years in the KHL and a disastrous season in Dallas without scoring goals, but by hard work earned his right to play in the best league in the world.
2. Pavel Buchnevich (St. Louis): 6 points (1 + 5) in four games
St. Louis’s Russian strikers continue to rock. And above all, it is worth noting Pavel Buchnevich . The left winger has earned “1 + 5” in four games and is in second place in the team in terms of points scored after his compatriot Vladimir Tarasenko . And on average, he spends even more time on the ice than his more stellar partner.
While Nikita Kucherov is recovering from another injury, this is how, unexpectedly, “St. Louis” is gradually taking away from “Tampa” the title of one of the brightest Russian teams in the NHL.
1. Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis): 6 points (3 + 3) in four games
But everyone was overshadowed by the same Vladimir Tarasenko , who plays better and better with each match. In four meetings, the St. Louis striker has scored three times, assisted the same number and climbed to first place in the club’s top scorers list. Also, Tarasenko, by a wide margin, is the most throwing hockey player of the “bluesmen”. His trademark wrist shot remains the main attacking weapon of Craig Berubi’s charges .
But the most important thing is that so far the Russian man has been able to avoid his main problem – injuries. If this continues, then he will come up to the Olympic Games in full combat readiness. Moreover, “St. Louis” has prepared a whole link for our team, capable of bringing results. After all, Ivan Barbashev was also very good last week. The center forward scored 4 points (2 + 2) in the same four meetings, and we talked about Pavel Buchnevich’s bombarding exploits above.
Of the disappointments, as always, I would like to single out two of our stars from Dallas: Alexander Radulov and Denis Guryanov . Both do not gain points for performance at all, and the first one is also grossly mistaken, helping to score the opponents. Apparently, both of them should think about their imminent return to the KHL right now.
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