Battling for postseason glory. First round’s top imports
Valk, Ebert key for Avtomobilist despite the loss, Jaskin keeps on scoring goals for SKA. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
Canada/Kazakhstan
F, Avtomobilist, 7 G, 10 (4+6) points, +3
Valk was one of the last players to surrender for Avtomobilist. He led the league with 10 points in the series’ seven games and had several outstanding performances. The Alberta native proved to be a valuable asset for the Motormen, particularly in game five, where he scored a goal and two assists, with a plus-4 differential. He also scored the game-winner that night. Throughout the series against Magnitka, Valk recorded two game-winning goals, three hits, nine blocked shots, and five takeaways. Due to his impressive effort, he was awarded the best forward honors for the playoffs’ first round.
United States
D, Avtomobilist, 7 G, 8 (5+3) points, -2
Ebert was another player who tried hard until the end for Avtomobilist, leading the league with five goals tied with Dynamo Moscow’s Eric O’Dell and topping all the league’s blueliners with eight points, tied with CSKA’s Nikita Nesterov. The American blueliner, in his second year in the league, scored points in all games but one, when Avtomobilist collected a win over Metallurg in game four. In the decisive game seven, Ebert scored again for the Motormen to make it a 1:1 game in the middle frame. The New Jersey native was one of the best players for Avtomobilist throughout the season, and he’s certainly one of the players to count on for the next season.
Canada
D, Metallurg, 7 G, 3 (0+3) points, +8
The Canadian blueliner’s production wasn’t as high as Ebert’s, yet he ended up on the winning side and has also posted a league-leading plus-8 differential, including a cumulative plus-5 in the last two games of the series when it mattered the most, as Magnitka won both times. Curran has proved to be a valuable option on Metallurg’s blueline, playing reliable defense and contributing to the offensive game. Curran’s reliability and focused play will be key for Magnitka in the second round against Avangard.
Czech Republic/Russia
F, SKA, 6 G, 5 (4+1) points +3
The regular season’s top scorer didn’t loser his touch in the postseason, netting four goals in the six games of the clash against Dinamo Minsk, including the game winner in game two – the first win for SKA in the series. Jaskin was valuable for St. Petersburg with his goalscoring abilities and imposing presence in the offensive zone, often attracting focus from the Minsk defense to provide more space for the more creative Nikita Gusev as the plays stretched throughout Dinamo’s third. Jaskin’s goals and physical play will be key for SKA as the St. Petersburg franchise faces Torpedo in the second round as the West’s #1 seed.
