Best players of October

The Kontinental Hockey League’s commission has determined the best players of the Regular Season’s second month in four categories.

In September, the League’s teams played 124 games, with 656 players (52 goalies, 213 defensemen, and 391 forwards) taking part in the action. The scoring was at 5.36 goals per game.

- Best goalie for the second time in his career was Vladislav Podyapolsky (Lada), who won five games from nine last month. Moreover, two games ended in a tie following regulation time and OT, with the goalie winning one shutout series and losing another. The Togliatti goalie faced 304 shots, or 33.8 per night, posting a saves percentage of 95.39% and a goals-against average of 1.52. Podyapolsky posted two shutouts in October, against Neftekhimik (3:0) and Admiral (1:0 SO), respectively.

- Best defenseman for the sixth time in his career was Alexander Nikishin (SKA), who scored 10 (4+6) points in twelve October games. The St. Petersburg defenseman finished the month with a plus-13 differential. Nikishin had two game-winning goals, recorded 16 hits, blocked 28 shots, and had two takeaways. He is the first defenseman to be awarded the best of the month six times, with the previous record being held by Mat Robinson (five nominations).

- Best forward for the first time in his career was Sergei Plotnikov (SKA), who scored 14 (10+4) points in twelve games, with a plus-12 differential. Pilipenko potted one game-winning goal, had one hat-trick and a double, recorded 31 hits, blocked three shots and had three takeaways.

- Best rookie for the first time in his career was goalie Yegor Zavragin (HC Sochi/SKA), who won eight games from ten with a goals-against average of 2.06. The young netminder played two games for HC Sochi and eight for SKA. He posted two shutouts in October, one with HC Sochi (1:0 against Severstal) and one for SKA (8:0 against Kunlun Red Star). Zavragin faced 283 shots (or 28,3 per night), with a saves percentage of 93.29%.