DURHAM, UK – On my recent visit to the World Championships in Kiev (Ukraine) there were a number of players who stood out for me throughout the week long tournament. Several of the top performers in Group B were from Paul Thompson’s British squad as GB put in a number of great displays on their way to capturing the silver medal. The stand out net minder throughout the whole competition in Kiev was the Belfast Giants goalie Stephen Murphy. The Scottish keeper only conceded 9 goals in around 285 minutes of action and he was also able to post one shut out (shared with Nathan Craze) against Estonia. Murphy was officially chosen as the top nettie in Group B and it is hard to disagree with that view given how crucial Stephen is to the way Britain approach the game. In defence Roman Savchenko of Kazakhstan was selected as the top d man in the tournament however it was British blue liner Corey Neilson who stood out for me. The player/coach of (Elite League side) Nottingham Panthers was able to seamlessly integrate himself into the GB squad even though the dual national he came into international hockey at a very late stage in his career. Neilson’s versatility also proved to be a great asset to GB as head coach Paul Thompson switched Corey to centre with great effect when Colin Shields was ruled out through a shoulder injury and Neilson was also used as a forward on the power play opportunities throughout the week. Neilson may have come into the GB squad at the tail end of his career however given the quality the former Edmonton Oilers draft picks possesses there are few teams in Division 1 who would not want a player such as Neilson on their roster. Up front the stand out forward over the course of the tournament in my opinion was Estonian Andrei Markov. Markov looked a threat every time he steeped out onto the ice and the Metallurg Zhlobin player netted 3 goals and picked up 2 assists during Estonia’s 5 Group B clash’s. Markov’s scored 2 superb goals against Ukraine on the 4th day of the Championships. The first strike was arguably the best goal of the Championships as Markov dispossessed an opposition defenceman before skipping past another opponent and firing into the top corner of the net. Andrei’s stick handling and vision also have to be commended as the diminutive winger skill had to be seen to be believed on occasion. Olexander Materukhin of the Ukraine was officially selected as the top forward during the tournament however the it was his team mate Andri Mikhnov who I viewed as the stand out performer for the host nation over the course of the Championships. Mikhnov physical style of play troubled many opponents and the KHL player deserved to pick up more than the solitary goal he recorded during his 5 outings. Overall I would have to select Stephen Murphy as the Most Valuable Player in Group B (Division 1) of the World Championships as the highly regarded goaltender backstopped GB to their best showing in more than 10 years. It also does have to be remembered that Andrei Markov of Estonia had a superb tournament as the little forward single handily kept his country in many games with his superb playmaking abilities and excellent all round game play. Contact the author – chris.mackenzie@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.