D-men lead the way. Week 4 top imports
Nardella keeps on producing, Hoefenmayer stars for Sochi, and Press continues his dominating play on the blue line for Metallurg. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
US
D, Torpedo, 4 G, 5 (1+4) points, +3
Rob Nardella was awarded best defenseman for the first time in his career, shining brightly in his debut KHL season as an American standout. Last week, he dazzled with 5 points (1+4) across four games, boasting a plus-3 rating. His clutch heroics came against SKA on Wednesday, scoring the thrilling overtime winner (3:2 OT). Beyond his scoring, Nardella made his presence felt with a hit, seven blocked shots, and a key takeaway, proving he’s a force on both ends of the ice.
Canada
D, HC Sochi, 3 G, 4 (2+2) points, even
Another KHL debutant with a solid start, Hoefenmayer was excellent for Sochi last week, despite the Black Sea franchise had a difficult time with only one win in three games. The Ontario native scored points in all games, with a two-point performance in HC Sochi’s 4:0 win over Lada on Tuesday. Then, he had an assist in HC Sochi’s losing effort at home against Admiral (4:5), and scored the lone Sochi’s goal in his team’s defeat in Ufa on Sunday (1:3). With his 200-foot game and excellent adaptation, Hoefenmayer will play a key role as HC Sochi is fighting for a playoffs spot.
Sweden
D, Metallurg, 2 G, 3 (0+3) points, +3
The Swede had another striking week despite playing only two games with Magnitka. The blue liner posted a pair of assists in Metallurg’s win in Moscow over Spartak on Sunday (6:2) for a great performance, with a plus-3 rating. As Metallurg played another game in the Russian capital earlier, he had another helper when Magnitka defeated CSKA on Friday (3:2). Press, in his fifth KHL season, is yet to score his first goal this season, but accumulated ten assists across twelve games, trailing only Nardella, who had eleven. As the season goes by, Press’ production and defensive play will be key for Magnitogorsk.
Slovakia
F, Spartak, 3 G, 3 (1+2) points, -1
Spartak’s season has been up and down, but finally Ruzicka returned to last season’s production, with the team winning two games from three last week. On Tuesday, the Slovak forward had a goal and an assist as the Red-and-Whites collected a 6:3 home win over Traktor. Three days later, Spartak had another win when the team got the best of SKA with a 3:1 score, with Ruzicka collecting another helper. The Slovak was held scoreless in Spartak’s loss to Metallurg on Sunday (2:6). Ruzicka, in his second season in the league, will be a key piece for Spartak as the season progresses.
