Best players of December

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

In November, the League’s teams played 98 games, with 605 players (52 goalies, 197 defensemen, and 356 forwards) taking part in the action. The scoring was at 5.4 goals per game.

- Best goalie for the first time in his career was Dmitri Gamzin (CSKA), who posted no defeats in seven December games. He won four of these matches, with three games ending after shootouts. The CSKA goalie faced 172 shots, or 24.6 per night, posting a saves percentage of 94.77% and a goals-against average of 1.25. Gamzin posted a shutout in CSKA’s game against Dynamo Moscow on Dec. 21 (0:1 SO).

- Best defenseman for the third time in his career was Daniil Pylenkov (Dynamo Moscow), who scored 10 (0+10) points in eleven December games. The Blue-and-Whites’ defenseman also delivered 16 hits, blocked 21 shots, and had three takeaways, logging an average time on ice of 23 minutes and 43 seconds.

- Best forward for the second time in his career was Reid Boucher (Avtomobilist), who scored 15 (8+7) points in eight December games, with a plus-3 differential. The Yekaterinburg forward netted consecutive game-winning goals in Avtomobilit’s wins over Admiral on Dec. 21 (3:2) and Sibir on Dec. 23 (5:0). Boucher also delivered four hits, blocked two shots, made one pass interception, and had two takeaways.

- Best rookie for the third time in his career was forward Alexander Zharovsky (Salavat Yulaev), who scored 11 (4+7) points in eleven December games, with a plus-4 differential. The Ufa forward potted the game-winner against Amur on Dec. 25 (4:2). Zharovsky also recorded two hits, blocked seven shots, made five pass interceptions, and had six takeaways.