Players of the Month: Koshechkin, Tryamkin, Boychuk and Petunin
To mark the end of the third full month's play of the tenth season of the Championship, the Kontinental Hockey League has named the best players of November in four categories.
– Best goaltender was Vasily Koshechkin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), who tasted victory in five of his 10 outings. The Magnitka goalie posted a save percentage of 94.84, a goals against average of 1.79, and his shutout series stretched to 174 minutes and 51 seconds – the best in the League for November;
– Best defenseman, for the second successive month, was Nikita Tryamkin (Avtomobilist). The 23-year-old Russian also recorded five wins in 10 matches, ending the month with 7 (3+4) points (including a double against Severstal), a +9 efficiency rating, 42 shots, 15 blocks, and 28 hits – the highest November total of any defenseman in the League;
– Best forward was Zach Boychuk (Slovan), who helped the Yekaterinburg team to victory in five of his nine outings. The 28-year-old Canadian scored two doubles, against Amur and Vityaz, and struck the game-winner against Kunlun Red Star, part of a points haul of 11 (6+5) for November. He also blocked 10 of the opposition's shots and earned a +4 for the month;
– Best rookie was Dynamo Moscow forward Alexander Petunin, who celebrated victory in six of his seven outings. The 20-year-old's personal account shows 7 (3+4) points, 11 shots, 6 hits, an average of 14 minutes 18 seconds on the ice, and a +4 for the month.
