Unbeatable Nabokov and high-scoring Chistyakov. Second round top youngsters

Commentator for KHL TV channels and expert at KHL.ru, Anton Vasyatin, presents the top five most prominent young players (U23) in the league based on their performance in the second round of the elimination stage.

The list is compiled based on the Player Ratings, which the League calculates using an extensive set of statistical metrics.

5. Danila Yurov, forward (2003, Metallurg)

Player rating: 1.73
Quarterfinals stats: 6 games, 3 (2+1) points

For Magnitka’s top scorer in the regular season, the elimination stage has been quite a challenge. In the first round, Danila Yurov struggled to score for a long time, and a similar story unfolded in the series against Spartak. In both cases, the forward finally made his mark in the fifth game. Yurov netted two goals against the Red-and-Whites. Although neither of them secured victory, it was the young player who set the stage for Magnitogorsk’s win, scoring the first and third goals for the team in the opening frame. In the first match of the showdown, the forward assisted in Luke Johnson’s game-winner with the man advantage. Yurov continued to play in the middle and won no less than 50% of face-offs in most of the series’ games.

4. Roman Kantserov, forward (2004, Metallurg)

Player rating: 1.73
Quarterfinals stats: 6 games, 3 (1+2) points

Roman Kantserov is making his debut in the Gagarin Cup playoffs and continues to impress. To date, he netted three goals, each of which was a game-winner for Magnitogorsk. One of those goals came in the series against Spartak – in the sixth game, the young forward opened the scoring in the first period, and Spartak failed to score in the remaining of the time. Earlier, he also contributed with assists – providing one each in the first and fifth games. In each game of the series, Kantserov had shots on goal, and has also recorded nine hits, blocked two shots, and had four takeaways. It’s worth noting that with three goals after two series, Kantserov has already become the top scorer for Metallurg under the age of 20 in a single-season Gagarin Cup playoff.

3. Semyon Chistyakov, defenseman (2001, Avangard)

Player rating: 3.00
Quarterfinals stats: 7 games, 5 (3+2) points

The series between Avangard and Lokomotiv turned out to be the most dramatic in the Gagarin Cup quarterfinals, thanks in part to the stellar performance of d-man Semyon Chistyakov. In the showdown against Yaroslavl, the defenseman scored three goals, all of which contributed to his team’s victories. In the third match, the Omsk blueliner had two points – scoring in regulation time and assisting Reid Boucher in OT. In game five, Chistyakov himself became the author of the winning goal, brilliantly advancing into the attacking zone midway through the third period with the teams tied at two. A couple of days later, in Yaroslavl, he once again supported the attack excellently and equalized the score. Throughout the seven games against Lokomotiv, the defenseman also recorded 25 hits.

2. Maxim Beryozkin, forward (2001, Lokomotiv)

Player rating: 3.56
Quarterfinals stats: 7 games, 8 (4+4) points

After a goalless series against CSKA, Maxim Beryozkin fully engaged in the battle against Avangard. In the seven-game series, he tallied eight points, including four goals – in the first, second (game-winning goals), fifth, and seventh matches. The forward operated in his trademark style – aggressively challenging opponents (with fifteen hits), frequently forcing turnovers. Beryozkin consistently made sharp passes, sometimes directly from battles. In every game, the Lokomotiv forward fired shots on goal, reaching the 4-shot mark three times. The current lineup of Igor Nikitin’s team would be incomplete without him – both his shooting and playmaking abilities make Beryozkin a true leader for the Railwaymen.

1. Ilya Nabokov, goalie (2003, Metallurg)

Player rating: 4.56
Quarterfinals stats: 6 games, 4 wins, 3 shutouts

Recording a shutout against the most prolific team in the regular championship is a daunting task for any netminder. However, Ilya Nabokov, making his debut in the Gagarin Cup playoffs, rose to the challenge three times. In the first, second, and sixth matches against the Red-and-Whites, the Metallurg goalie didn’t concede a single goal. It’s noteworthy that he had the same number of shutouts throughout the entire regular season. In each game, Nabokov faced a significant workload – with a minimum of 32 shots fired by Spartak at his crease. All this despite the absence of any extra time played in the series. The young goalie made a colossal contribution to Andrei Razin team’s successes in the recent quarterfinals.