Plotnikov’s Present - Best Moments of October (video)
Great goals, spectacular saves and the hardest hits, starring Sergei Plotnikov, Juha Metsola, and Andrei Mironov – the KHL is proud to bring you October’s best moments in the championship.
Top 10 Goals: Plotnikov’s Present to Moses
What could possibly be better than a great goal? Followers of the League last month already know the answer – an amazing assist. SKA’s Sergei Plotnikov sailed out from behind the goal, shrugged off a phalanx of defensemen, delivered a devilishly disguised pass to Steve Moses, and the American duly buried the puck in the Riga net.
Silver medal has to go the sublime solo strike by Alexander Semin of Metallurg Magnitogorsk, who set off in his own zone and charged through two Amur defensemen, collided with a third, but managed to belt the puck home while off-balance.
Bronze goes to the Magic Man. It had been 8 games since Pavel Datsyuk had troubled the scoreboard operator, and maybe this lulled the Medvescak men into complacency, but it is hard to see how anyone could have even predicted, let alone stopped the SKA man’s vicious shot into the roof of the net.
Top 10 Saves: Metsola’s Magic Stick
Salavat Yulaev goaltender Niklas Svedberg showed tremendous agility to get his glove to what seemed a routine empty netter to thwart Avangard’s Denis Parshin and secure third place in our Saves of the Month.
Runner-up is Slovan’s Barry Brust, whose acrobatic stop against Dynamo Moscow was crucial to the Bratislava boys’ surprise 5-3 triumph over the Blue-and-Whites.
Savior of the Month for October is Amur’s Juha Metsola. One has to sympathize with Traktor forward Alexander Chernikov, who must have been planning his goal celebration as he prepared to sweep the puck into an unguarded net, but the formidable Finn somehow got his stick in the way to produce a miraculous save. Eat your heart out, Harry Potter!
Top 10 Hits: Mironov’s Windmill
As Jokerit’s Joey Hishon windmilled through the air, he may have already suspected he was playing an unwilling role in the Top Hit of October. The Canadian had just offloaded the puck after a 20-yard burst when Dynamo Moscow D-man Andrei Mironov sent the forward flying.
Second place goes to CSKA defenseman Konstantin Alexeyev for a crunching interception, with Sibir forward Artyom Voroshilo the hapless recipient.
Mironov’s Dynamo teammate, Martins Karsums, takes third spot with his powerful check against Riga’s Colton Gillies.
