Solid walls and silent contributors: Semifinals top imports
Zach Fucale’s heroics, Martin Gernat’s stability, and Logan Day’s grit power their teams into the Gagarin Cup Finals. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
Canada
Zach Fucale
G, Traktor, 5 G, 4 W, 91.88%, GAA 2.44
Fucale has been solid between the Traktor’s piping for the whole semifinals series, with strong performances especially in the second and third game against Dynamo Moscow. In those two games, Fucale had 29 and 30 saves, respectively, allowing only two goals in each as Traktor took both games with a 3:2 score – one at home, and one in Moscow. The Quebec native also made 28 stops in the decisive fifth encounter, with Traktor claiming the series 4-1 after a tight 4:3 win on home soil. As the Gagarin Cup finals approach, expect the role of the goalies to be even higher.
Slovakia
D, Lokomotiv, 5 G, 1 (0+1) point, +3
The Slovak defenseman scored less than his usual in this year’s postseason, including the semifinal series against Salavat Yulaev, but that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t valuable to his team – quite the opposite. He posted one helper in Yegor Surin’s first goal in the decisive fifth match, with the Railwaymen taking the game 4:2 and clinching the series 4-1. The towering defenseman had only one game with a negative rating – game three, ending the semifinals with a plus-3 differential. Gernat will be a key piece in the defensive lineup for Lokomotiv in the grand finals against Traktor.
US
D, Traktor, 5 G, 2 (0+2) points, +2
A strong signing for the Chelyabinsk side at the transfer deadline, Day is playing well in the elimination stage, even if he doesn’t get to the scoresheet that often. A strong defensive play, enough energy to eat up minutes on the blue line and strong skating abilities, Day has definitely improved Traktor’s defensive zone game and is delivering now that it matters the most. The American defenseman, who opened his goalscoring account in the previous round against Dinamo Minsk, logged almost thirty minutes on the ice in game three in Moscow, ended in a double OT, when he also had an assist. He ended with a plus-2 differential in the crucial game five. Day is ready to bring his excellent play to the next level in the Gagarin Cup finals.
