Warming up the engine before the playoffs. Top imports
Da Costa keeps on scoring for Avtomobilist, Severstal and Liska on the rise. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
France
F, Avtomobilist, 3 G, 4 (2+2) points, +3
The Frenchman, at his ninth year in the league, has proven his worth once again last week with Avtomobilist. The Motormen won two games and lost one in OT, with Da Costa scoring points in all games and being now on an active five-game scoring streak. The Paris native started his week with an assist in Avtomobilist’s losing effort against Dynamo Moscow on Tuesday. Two days later, he had a goal (the game-winner) and a helper as the Motormen achieved a key victory over Avangard. He also added another tally in Avtomobilist’s win over HC Sochi on Sunday. He also posted a plus-1 differential in all his games this week. The Frenchman will be a key player for Avtomobilist in the upcoming Gagarin Cup playoffs.
Canada
F, Dynamo Moscow, 2 G, 3 (2+1) points, +4
The Canadian forward is one of the league’s top scorers this season – he produced 72 (28+44) points in 63 regular season games for Dynamo this season – a career high for the forward – three of which came last week. Weal was instrumental for the Blue-and-Whites in their victory over Vityaz on Saturday. In that game, Weal potted two tallies in the opening frame, then assisted Nikita Gusev’s game-winner as the dynamic duo confirmed its position as one of the best in the league. As the playoffs approach, Weal’s points will be vital for Dynamo’s offensive efforts.
United States
D, Ak Bars, 3 G, 2 (0+2) points, +2
The defenseman, who joined Ak Bars in late November from Liptovsky Mikulas in Slovakia, has finally found his groove in Kazan, helping the team with strong offensive rushes and excellent performance on the blue line. He may still lack some consistency, yet he scored points in seven of his last ten games, including two last week, where he recorded helpers in Kazan’s win over Neftekhimik and Spartak – both ended with a 3:0 triumph for Ak Bars. Miller’s improving game will be key for Kazan and Bilyaletdinov in the upcoming postseason.
Slovakia
F, Severstal, 2 G, 2 (0+2) points, even
Another team who is running high is Severstal – the Steelers have won eight of their last ten games and they are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Liska has been excellent for Severstal this season, and last week his contribution was more than the mere quantity of points. In any case, he helped the Steelers winning both games – against Spartak and Neftekhimik – racking up a helper again in both games ending a six-game scoring draught. This season Severstal had its record for regular-season wins with 35 and has already more points than last year (78 against 75), and Liska will be on the lookout for helping his team to win its second playoffs series in its history.
