European Leagues

By Pete Choquette

It's been a long, strange trip for Bolt Prospects to arrive at this year's Midterm Prospect Rankings. Between the end of the NHL lockout and an abbreviated training camp, call-ups, graduations, and trades, there's been a lot of movement in the rankings. One lesson learned from the first half of this season: no more standing still for Lightning prospects. Even first and second round picks can't afford to stagnate in their development with so much quality depth within the organization. More than that, the youth movement is already beginning in Tampa Bay with three prospects currently up with the Lightning and recently graduated Keith Aulie also with the NHL club.

The end of the regular season...

KHL (Russia):
Magnitogorsk 1 vs. Chelyabinsk 4
Nikita Nesterov, Chelyabinsk, 0-1-1, +2, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals (KHL): 35 GP, 0-1-1, +6, 14 PIM
Season totals (MHL): 2 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM

On the final day of the regular season, Nikita Nesterov snapped his season long scoreless drought with a helper on a Yegor Dugin goal in Chelyabinsk's 4-1 win over Magnitogorsk. The defenseman played 14:17 in the match. Caps first rounger Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his 19th goal of the season in the win.

Novgorod 3 vs. Kabarovsk 2
Nikita Gusev, Khavarovsk, 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season totals (KHL)(Khabarovsk): 24 GP, 4-8-12, +2, 4 PIM
Season totals (KHL)(CSKA): 6 GP, 0-1-1, -2, 0 PIM
Season totals (KHL)(Total): 30 GP, 4-9-13, E, 4 PIM
Season totals (VHL): 15 GP, 7-6-13, -2, 2 PIM

Nikita Gusev capped off his season the right way scoring a Second Period even strength goal in 14:00 of ice time in Khabarovsk's 3-2 loss to Novgorod. The goal put Gusev at a half a point a game since his trade to Amur, and he averaged a decent 12:53 of ice time a game for the team.

Cherepovets 3 vs. Nizhnekamsk 4 (OT)
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, OT Loss, 27/31, 4.00 GAA, .871 sv%
Season totals: 51 GP, 28-20-3, 8 SO, 2.13 GAA, .923 sv%

Vasily Koshechkin, who was named the KHL's Player of the Month for January, dropped his final start of the season 4-3 in overtime to Nizhnekamsk. Koshechkin ends the season with the most shutouts in the KHL at 8. Teammate Denis Kazionov, a former Lightning draft pick, was scoreless in the match and finished with 14 goals and 22 points in 45 games this season.

Dinamo Minsk 2 vs. Ufa 3
Andrey Vasilevskiy, Ufa, Win, 32/34, 2.00 GAA, .941 sv%
Season totals (KHL): 8 GP, 4-1-0, 1 SO, 2.22 GAA, .924 sv%
Season totals (MHL): 27 GP, 20-6-1, 3 SO, 1.93 GAA, .930 sv%

Andrey Vasilevskiy capped his regular season by stopping 32 shots in a 3-2 victory over Dinamo Minsk. Ex-Lightning defenseman Janne Niskala had 1 goal and 1 assist for Minsk in defeat.

Dinamo Riga 3 vs. Bratislava 1
Jaroslav Janus, Bratislava, Loss, 16/19, 3.00 GAA, .842 sv%
Season totals: 47 GP, 26-17-4, 5 SO, 2.17 GAA, .928 sv%

Jaroslav Janus completed his superb rookie regular season in the KHL with a 3-1 loss to Dinamo Riga. Ex-Lightning prospect Michal Sersen had Slovan's only goal in the loss. Ex-Lightning forward and Riga captain Martins Karsums scored the game winning goal for Dinamo.

Playoffs:
The playoffs begin Wednesday, with only Gusev's Khabarovsk failing to qualify for the postseason among teams with Lightning prospects. In the Western Conference, Koshechkin and 5th seeded Cherepovets will square off with 4th seeded Yaroslavl Lokomotiv to start the playoffs. Janus and 6th seeded Bratislava draw 3rd seed Dynamo Moscow. In the Eastern Conference, Nesterov and 3rd seeded Trakot Chelyabinsk will get 6th seed Barys Astana. 5th seed Ufa and Andrey Vasilevskiy draw 4th seed Magnitogorsk.

KHL (Russia):
Cherepovets 3 vs. Ufa 0
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, Win, SO, 32/32, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 sv%
Season totals: 50 GP, 28-19-3, 8 SO, 2.09 GAA, .924 sv%

Andrey Vasilevskiy, Ufa, DNP
Season totals (KHL): 7 GP, 3-1-0, 1 SO, 2.27 GAA, .918 sv%
Season totals (MHL): 27 GP, 20-6-1, 3 SO, 1.93 GAA, .930 sv%

Vasily Koshechkin posted his league leading 8th shutout of the season to lead Cherepovets to a 3-0 win over Ufa. Fellow Lightning prospect Jaroslav Janus is currently third in the KHL with 5 shutouts. Cherepovets got 1 goal and 1 assist from ex-NHLer Nicklas Bergfors in the win. Andrey Vasilevskiy sat backup to Iiro Tarkki in the match for Ufa. Cherepovets plays Nizhnekamsk on Sunday while Vasilevskiy plays Dinamo Minsk.

Mytischi 2 vs. Khabarovsk 0
Nikita Gusev, Khabarovsk, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 3 SOG
Season totals (KHL)(Khabarovsk): 23 GP, 3-8-11, +1, 4 PIM
Season totals (KHL)(CSKA): 6 GP, 0-1-1, -2, 0 PIM
Season totals (KHL)(Total): 29 GP, 3-9-12, -1, 4 PIM
Season totals (VHL): 15 GP, 7-6-13, -2, 2 PIM

Nikita Gusev was scoreless in 15:24 in Khabarovsk's 2-0 loss to Mytischi. Mytischi got a pair of helpers from former NHLer Sandis Ozolinsh in the win. Khabarovsk plays Novgorod on Sunday.

Donetsk 3 vs. Bratislava 4 (OT)
Jaroslav Janus, Bratislava, DNP
Season totals: 46 GP, 26-16-4, 5 SO, 2.15 GAA, .930 sv%

Jaroslav Janus got a rare game off in favor of backup Branislav Konrad in Bratsilava's 4-3 overtime win over Donetsk. Ex-Lightning prospect Michal Sersen had a pair of helpers in the win for Slovan, including on the overtime winner. Bratislava plays Dinamo Riga on Sunday.

KHL (Russia):
Chelyabinsk 3 vs. Ekaterinburg 1
Nikita Nesterov, Chelyabinsk, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 0 SOG
Season totals (KHL): 34 GP, 0-0-0, +4, 14 PIM
Season totals (MHL): 1 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM

Nikita Nesterov played 14:34 in Chelyabinsk's 3-1 win over sad sack Ekaterinburg. Ex-NHLer Jan Bulis had a helper in the match for Chelyabinsk. They play Magnitogorsk on Sunday.

Nizhnekamsk 1 vs. Ufa 2
Andrey Vasilevskiy, Ufa, DNP
Season totals (KHL): 7 GP, 3-1-0, 1 SO, 2.27 GAA, .918 sv%
Season totals (MHL): 27 GP, 20-6-1, 3 SO, 1.93 GAA, .930 sv%

Ex-Lightning forward and Nizhnekamsk captain Martin Cibak was scoreless in their 2-1 loss to Ufa. Lightning prospect Andrey Vasilevskiy did not play for Ufa. Ufa plays Cherepovets on Friday.

Yaroslavl 4 vs. Khabarovsk 1
Nikita Gusev, Khabarovsk, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season totals (KHL)(Khabarovsk): 22 GP, 3-8-11, +1, 4 PIM
Season totals (KHL)(CSKA): 6 GP, 0-1-1, -2, 0 PIM
Season totals (KHL)(Total): 28 GP, 3-9-12, -1, 4 PIM
Season totals (VHL): 15 GP, 7-6-13, -2, 2 PIM

Nikita Gusev was scoreless in 7:37 in Khabarovsk's 4-1 loss to Yaroslavl. Lokomotiv got a hat trick from former NHLer Niklas Hagman in their victory. Khabarovsk plays Mytischi on Friday.

Cherepovets 0 vs. Kazan 2
Vasily Koshechkin, Cherepovets, DNP
Season totals: 49 GP, 27-19-3, 7 SO, 2.13 GAA, .922 sv%

Vasily Koshechkin did not dress for Cherepovets' 2-0 loss to Kazan. Kazan got a helper from ex-NHLer Nikolai Zherdev in the match. Cherepovets plays Ufa on Friday.

Spartak Moscow 3 vs. Bratislava 4 (OT)
Jaroslav Janus, Bratislava, Win, 21/24, 2.94 GAA, .875 sv%
Season totals: 46 GP, 26-16-4, 5 SO, 2.15 GAA, .930 sv%

Bratislava overcame a multi-point night by former NHLer Slava Kozlov to defeat Spartak Moscow 4-3 in overtime. Bratislava plays Donetsk on Friday.

Note: Andrey Vasilevskiy's MHL statistics have been updated to reflect the result of three additional starts in early December.

Elitserien (Sweden)
Brynas 3 vs. Timra 4 (OT)

Johan Harju, Brynas, 0-1-1, -1, 5 SOG, 0 PIM
Season totals: 48 GP, 16-9-25, -4, 14 PIM

After a 10-day break, Brynas returned to action at home against Timra and suffered their seventh-straight defeat when former Lightning forward Radek Smolenak scored the game-deciding shootout goal for the visitors. Johan Harju ended his four-game scoreless skid late in the third period when he fed a pass from high along the boards to defenseman Ryan Gunderson who was manning the point and whose resulting shot through traffic provided an even-strength equalizer that sent the game into overtime. In net for Brynas was former Bolts netminder Johan Holmqvist, who stopped 31 of 35 shots in the loss. Brynas (15-18-5-10, 65 PTS) hosts Vaxjo (12-22-7-6, 56 PTS) on Saturday.

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