Prospects update: Rykov wins, Liiga games cancelled & a full schedule in Sweden

A number of New York Rangers prospects are playing Europe

This week, we’ve been following Rangers prospects in Russia, FInland and Sweden.  Three key prospects, Vitali Kravtsov, Lauri Pajuniemi and Olof Lindbom are still out with injuries. Meanwhile, the coronavirus has taken its toll on the Finnish Liiga.  Meanwhile in Sweden, there were games in both the SHL and Allsvenskan leagues.

KHL

Defense prospect Yegor Rykov played 17:07 in CSKA’s 3-2 overtime loss to Torpedo.   Rykov had his issues as he was on ice for two of the three Torpedo goals.  Despite the loss, CSKA remains in first place in the Western Conference, five points ahead of SKA St. Petersburg.   Rykov has played in all 18 of CSKA’s games and has five assists with a plus/minus of +5 .

In other KHL action, Vitali Kravtsov missed his seventh straight game with a lower body injury.  It was a 3-1  loss at home to Sibir.   Traktor has gone 5-2 without him in the lineup.

Liiga – Finland

The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the Finnish Liiga schedule.    Ranger left wing prospect Leevi Aaltonen  plays for KalPa and they have had three games postponed due to infections.  Their game Wednesday versus Kookoo was postponed as well as their game Friday against SaiPa and Saturday’s match  against Karpat.

The KalPa games were postponed  after players from Karpat tested positive and it was determined that as many 13 KalPa players were exposed and are being quarantined.

TPS Turku’s October 17 match with Karpat was postponed due to the virus.  TPS was back in action and lost their third straight game, all with Ranger forward prospect Lauri Pajuniemi out with a leg injury. They dropped a 4-1 decision to Ilves, evening their record at 3-3.

Sweden

Olof Lindbom missed his second straight game as Mora won in a shootout, 4-3, over Västervik in  Allsvenskan League action.  Lindbom was hurt in a goal collision, but the good news is he told a Swedish newspaper that he didn’t suffer a concussion and just has some neck and back soreness.  He should be back in action soon.  So far in three starts, Lindbom has a 2-0 record with a .908 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.70.

In the Swedish Hockey League,  Karl Henriksson didn’t play in Frölunda’s 6-2 win in Malmö  on Tuesday.    Defense prospect Calle Själin played 16:17 in Leksand’s 3-2 win over Djurgården in overtime. He finished +1 in the game, but was scoreless.

On Thursday, it was prospect versus prospect as Nils Lundkvist and Luleå took on Calle Själin  and Leksand at their home Coop Norrbotten Arena.  Luleå  prevailed, winning 5-2. Lundkvist assisted on the fifth Luleå  goal, scored in the last minute of the game.    Lundkvist played 22:44, second most on the team.

Calle Själin was on the losing side for Leksand, playing 18:17, taking three shots, one on goal.  Leksand dropped to a 2-2-2-5 record.  Luleå  holds onto first place in the SHL and have gotten points in each of their nine games, with no regulation losses.

Frölunda took to the road to play Rögle  and prospect Adam Edström.  Rangers draft pick Karl Henriksson was scratched by Frölunda for the second straight game.  Meanwhile, Edström played 11:09, the most minutes he has played in a game this season.   He took two shots with one on goal and had two blocked shots.

Rögle improved their record to 6-0-1-2, and pulled within one point of second place Frölunda . With 19 points, they are three points behind first place Luleå  .

There is a full schedule of games this weekend and hopefully we will see a return to action for Vitali Kravtsov