International help in the KHL capital cities. Week 5 top imports
International players were of great help in the teams from the league’s capital cities, with Reilly Walsh having a striking week, Xavier Ouellet continuing producing points for Dinamo Minsk, and much more. KHL.ru presents the best players from each country.
US
D, Barys, 3 G, 4 (1+3) points, -2
The Kazakhs lost three games from three last week, but d-man Reilly Walsh was one of the best players for the team, scoring points in all games and helping Barys get one point in a losing effort against Traktor (2:3 OT). It was Barys and Walsh’s second game of the week. Earlier, Walsh posted a helper in Barys 3:4 loss in Kazan. On Sunday, Barys lost again, but the American blueliner ended the game with his fourth goal of the season and yet another assist as Torpedo claimed a 5:3 victory over the Kazakhs. With the team in the playoff zone, Walsh’s production and defensive play will be key for Barys to succeed.
Canada
D, Dinamo Minsk, 3 G, 3 (0+3) points, +3
Dinamo Minsk is having a great season so far, despite losing the last two games – both to the Shanghai Dragons. The Canadian defenseman was a key player for the Bison, ending all the games with a plus-1 rating despite two defeats in three games and scoring points in two. He started the week dishing out an assist for Vitaly Pinchuk’s game-winning goal against Traktor on Monday (3:1). Then, Ouellet had a pair of helpers in Dinamo Minsk’s losing effort in the first outing against the Dragons (2:3). He was then held scoreless when the Belarusians lost to the Dragons again on Saturday (1:2), but he still ended the game with a plus-1 differential. Ouellet, who is an alternate captain for Dinamo Minsk, is now leading all the team’s defensemen with nine assists and nine points. As the Belarusians’ ambitions are high this season, Ouellet’s play will be key for them as the season goes on.
Slovakia
F, Spartak, 2 G, 3 (0+3) points, +2
The Slovak towering forward helped Spartak win two games last week, over the Shanghai Dragons on Tuesday (3:0) and Salavat Yulaev on Friday (2:1). In the week’s matches, Ruzicka showed good chemistry with Nathan Todd. The Slovak posted a pair of helpers in the Red-and-Whites’ win over the Dragons, assisting Todd’s second goal of the season and Mikhail Maltsev’s tally on the power play late in the second period. On Friday, Todd scored again to open the score in the game against Salavat Yulaev Ufa, with Ruzicka dishing out another pass to the Canadian. The Red-and-Whites are now fighting for a place in the West’s top four, and they will be needing Adam Ruzicka’s production.
Netherlands
F, CSKA, 2 G, 2 (1+1) points, even
CSKA is having a rocky season so far, but a few players are still enjoying a very good campaign. One of them is Netherlands’ Daniel Sprong. The forward netted his fifth goal this season in the Moscow Derby on Friday, with Dynamo claiming an extra time win (4:3 SO). Two days ago, Sprong recorded an assist in CSKA’s losing effort at home against Ak Bars (2:3). In both games, the Netherlands international logged more than twenty minutes on the ice – that’s impressive for a forward. Currently, Sprong is CSKA’s top scorer, and the Muscovites need his points to return into the playoff places.
