Players of the Week: Zapolski, Rafikov, Tkachyov and Sharangovich
To mark the end of the eighth week’s play of the tenth season of the Championship, The Kontinental Hockey League has named the best players of the week in four categories.
– Best goaltender was Ryan Zapolski (Jokerit). The USA international achieved a perfect goalie's week, helping the men from Helsinki win all three of their games (including two on the road) and keeping the opposition off the scorebard in all three encounters. Zapolski saved 71 shots in total, and his shutout series now stretches to 194 minutes and 27 seconds;
– Best defenseman was Rushan Rafikov (Lokomotiv). The team from Yaroslavl won 3 of its four games, thanks in no small part to the exploits of the 22-year-old Russian. Rafikov's figures for the past seven days include 5 (1+4) points (the highest total of any defenseman in the League), 3 blocks, and not a single negative rating on his way to earning a +4 for the week;
– Best forward was Vladimir A. Tkachyov (Ak Bars), the 24-year-old Russian sniper was in lethal form, ending the week with a +1, firing off 11 shots, and scoring 8 (5+3) points (more than any other player in the KHL). Tkachyov's impressive haul included a hat-trick on the road at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and a double in Saint Petersburg, where his overtime goal sealed victory for the Kazan Men over League leaders SKA;
– Best rookie was 19-year-old Dinamo Minsk forward Yegor Sharangovich, who was given three outings and scored two goals. He also contributed 3 hits and averaged 12 minutes 34 seconds of ice time.
