Winning and losing. Second round top imports
Ruzicka and Miller crucial for their teams despite their loss, Rempal helps Salavat Yulaev moving to semifinals. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
Slovakia
F, Spartak, 7 G, 8 (6+2) points, +2
The Slovak forward was almost unstoppable for the Red-and-Whites in the early games of the series. He scored goals in the first four matches of the series, with Spartak up 3-1. Most remarkably, Ruzicka netted a hat-trick in game two, with the Red-and-Whites claiming a win 5:4 to tie the series. He produced six goals in the first four games, then Ufa managed to stop his production and that was a key moment in the series, with Salavat Yulaev winning three straight matches to claim the access to the semis. Ruzicka was however a key figure for Spartak in the postseason, as he added another four points in the first-round series against Severstal. Resigning the Slovak forward should be a top-priority for the Muscovites.
Canada
F, Salavat Yulaev, 7 G, 8 (2+6) points, even
On the other side of the battle was Sheldon Rempal. He showed less flashy performance than Ruzicka, but emerged victorious with Salavat Yulaev and scored more in the closing stages, making up for Joshua Leivo’s injury. In particular, the Calgary, Alberta, native scored in game seven while logging more than twenty-three minutes on the ice and made two assists in game five – the match that spurred Ufa’s comeback in the series. Rempal had an excellent debut season in the league and has an impressive 18 (8+10) points in 14 games throughout this year’s playoffs.
US
D, Ak Bars, 6 G, 8 (2+6) points, -1
Miller ended up on the losing side in the series between Ak Bars and Dynamo Moscow, but he showcased an impressive game and scored points in all the games of the confrontation – including the last one which Kazan lost 1:6. The d-man was instrumental in Ak Bars’ win in game one, when he had one goal and two assists as Kazan got away from Moscow with a 5:3 win. After that strong performance, Miller had points in all the games of the series, yet it wasn’t enough to give Ak Bars more than two wins and an early, second-round exit that left the Kazan side a bit disappointed by its final result. Nevertheless, Miller’s performance gave the impression of a player who is pivotal to the team's future development. He’s under contract for further two seasons in Tatarstan.
