Alucard 46 Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 The Growth of the Cucumber VHLM Weekly, 19 July With five points in his last five games, Kazakh teenager Evgeny Nezhmetdinov appears to be growing into his role as creator-in-chief for the Oslo Storm. This week VHLM Weekly analyses the early season growth of this exciting prospect. Excellent draft selections have seen the Storm get off to a flying star in S44, with top pick Le'Sean Coutzen standing out as one of the best players in the league. Oslo's second pick, goalie Sandro Clegane, has been instrumental in building a formidable defensive record for the side that currently sit top of the European division. Another rookie, Giovanni Reuel, has also been in sensational form for the Norwegians, but it is the rise in form of Nezhmetdinov that will worry the Storm's rivals, who could be forgiven for hoping that the current #1 side in the VHLM's European division would not be able to maintain their current form for the full regular season campaign. Drafted fifteenth overall, Nezhmetdinov came into the league with as a reputed trickster, and an excellent puck-handler. With three points in his first three starts, the affectionately dubbed 'Cucumber' of Kazakhstan looked set to be another inspirational draft choice, but after those opening three games the winger went eleven games before scoring again. While Coutzen and Reuel were racking up point after point, Nezhmetdinov appeared to be struggling to cope with the physical side of playing in the VHLM. Since netting a goal in a 4–3 loss to the Saskatoon Wild, however, Kiyar has gone on to pick up eleven points in fourteen games, including five in his last five. If this increase in productivity can be maintained, the Storm will be able to boast another weapon amongst their already formidable arsenal. In his last five appearances Nezhmetdinov has contributed five points to an Oslo attack which has been seen to grow more productive as their players have had time to gel. Only league leaders Saskatoon have boasted as formidable a defence as the Storm, and that dogged reluctance to let up goals has been a key factor in their rise to the top. Rookie goaltender Sandro Clegane has been in sparkling form, leading the league in save percentage, GAA, and shutouts. With a strong defensive foundation already well established, it is Oslo's offence which is now beginning to draw attention, with Nezhmetdinov's form is a contributing factor. A 3–1 victory against the Yukon Rush saw Nezhmetdinov record two assists, further bolstering his blossoming reputation as a playmaking winger. In the following game against the Brampton Blades, Nezhmetdinov netted the winner in a 2–1 victory that saw the Storm retain their place at the top of the division, as well as keeping in touch with Saskatoon and Yukon, the leading sides in the North American division. The following game saw the Storm pitted against the Rush once more, and the battle of the Clegane's saw a low-scoring encounter which ended in a 1–1 tie, before the Rush nicked a win in a shootout. Nezhmetdinov had a solid game, and one can hardly fault his lack of point-scoring given the excellent goaltending on display. Against Ottawa Nezhmetdinov was back on the scoresheet, with a goal and an assist on a Le'Sean Coutzen goal, the latter of which came on the powerplay. This another reason why Nezhmetdinov's improved productivity could prove key for the Storm: the winger plays on the first and fourth lines, but also on the top powerplay line, where productivity can be the difference between victory and defeat. He currently leads the Storm roster with a +/- of 17, and has a respectable shot percentage of 10.29. Only the impressive Reuel and Coutzen have logged more game-winning goals than the Kazakh, and another notable statistic is the frequency with which he is avoiding fights. An early season flourish of aggression saw the winger clock up twenty penalty minutes for fighting alone, but recent weeks have seen his PIM diminish as his point-scoring increases. If the last few weeks are anything to go by, Nezhmetdinov's early season difficulties seem to be falling behind him, and the future holds great promise for this exciting talent, and in turn for fans of the Oslo Storm. Munk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,580 Posted July 19, 2015 Admin Share Posted July 19, 2015 Quietly effective, my favourite kind. Alucard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylar 219 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Cucumbers are gross imo. Nice to see you start having success in the sim. If you go back to the VHLM next season you will surely be one of the best players. Hopefully you continue to have success, but Oslo not be so good and Saskatoon wins Grammar: 2/2 - only caught one thingflying star in S44 = flying start in S44 (I think this is what you meant?)Appearance: 1/1 - Looks nice.Overall: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard 46 Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Grammar: 2/2 - only caught one thing flying star in S44 = flying start in S44 (I think this is what you meant?) Yeah, that was my bad. Don't you love it when you miss a mistake that makes enough sense for the spelling and grammar check to miss as well? Tylar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,724 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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