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Barys and Spartak’s international players shine. Top imports
Barys’ imports shine through defeats, Prince delivers for Spartak. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
United States/Belarus
F, Spartak, 3 G, 5 (4+1) points, +1
Shane Prince of Spartak was crowned the top forward for the week, marking his second career achievement in this category. He dazzled with a remarkable performance, tallying an impressive 5 points (4 goals and 1 assist) in just three games. Notably, Prince maintained a flawless record in the plus-minus department, closing the week with a plus-1 differential. His contributions weren’t limited to scoring, as he delivered a solid hit and showcased his defensive prowess with three takeaways. It’s worth mentioning that Prince previously earned the title of best forward during the 2020-2021 season, representing Dinamo Minsk. The Red-and-Whites are currently fourth in the Western standings, and Prince’s contribution has been invaluable.
Czechia
D, Barys, 3 G, 6 (0+6) assists, +3
The Czech d-man has been fantastic on the blueline for Barys last week, showing all his playmaking ability despite the team’s lack of success. Sklenicka started the week with a fantastic performance – four passes in Barys’ record-breaking 8:0 win over Neftekhimik on Monday. It was the Kazakhs’ only win of the week, yet the smooth-skating defenseman had an assist in each of the other two games, against Spartak and Sibir, respectively. Sklenicka is currently riding at over one point a night, leading the league for scoring from the blue line, and Barys needs to get advantage of this production to return on the right side of the playoffs line in the Eastern standings.
United States
F, Barys, 3 G, 6 (3+3) points, +2
Barber’s week was similar to Sklenicka’s – he enjoyed great success despite Barys’ far from ideal results. The Pittsburgh native had three points in the Kazakhs’ win over Neftekhimik, followed by an assist in Barys’ loss to Spartak and a double – his first in his KHL career – in his team’s loss to Sibir on Saturday. Barber is currently Barys’ top scorer, and his contribute will be really valuable for the team to climb up in the standings.
Sweden
D, Metallurg, 3 G, 4 (1+3) points, +4
A fixture in this column, the Swedish defenseman had a fantastic start of the season with his new team – he moved to Magnitka from Severstal this season – and last week he was instrumental to his side’s success. However, Press didn’t have his best performance in one of the most awaited matches of the season, when he and head coach Andrei Razin visited Cherepovets to face their former club. Severstal celebrated a 5:4, SO win, while Press was left out the scoresheet – albeit he accumulated a plus-2 differential. Press also had a hat-trick of assists in Magnitka’s 4:2 win on Monday, with a goal in Metallurg’s second straight win over the Motormen on Wednesday (2:1 SO). Despite the loss in Cherepovets, Magnitka is still leading the Eastern Conference standings.
Canada
F, Dynamo Moscow, 3 G, 3 (3+0) points, +2
Dynamo Moscow started the season on a positive note, and last week Weal was one of its top players. Most notably, the Canadian forward potted his second goal of the season on Saturday, when the Muscovites had a 5:4 early win in Vladivostok. Weal added a tally to his season loot on Thursday, when Dynamo collected a 2:1, OT win against Amur in a hard-fought match. Weal is currently one of the league’s top scorer, helped by Nikita Gusev and Eric O’Dell, and Dynamo is leading the Western Conference standings.
