Ben Bowns recorded his fourth shutout of the season to claim a place in British Ice Hockey’s Team of the Week and help the Cardiff Devils stay within one point of the league-leading Nottingham Panthers.
Elsewhere, the Coventry Blaze enjoyed a breakout weekend from a talented blueliner and the Guildford Flames benefitted from a standout run from a summer signing.
With that, let’s dive into our latest Elite League Team of the Week.
Elite League Team of the Week: Round 9
Ben Bowns, Cardiff Devils
Ben Bowns, Cardiff Devils (Image: Scott Wiggins)
Where to start with Ben Bowns?
The 34-year-old continues to produce inspired performances, including Sunday’s 27-save shutout in Sheffield against the Steelers.
Bowns denied two high-danger scoring chances and stopped 1.9 goals above expectations, making him a Team of the Week lock once again.
Connor Russell, Coventry Blaze
Connor Russell has already established himself as one of the Coventry Blaze’s best summer additions.
The 29-year-old defender has played up and down Kevin Moore’s line-up, offering a dependable, solid brand of hockey at both ends of the ice.
He excelled offensively last time out, potting five points (one goal, four assists) in three appearances versus the Guildford Flames (5-3 win), Manchester Storm (4-2 loss), and Fife Flyers (4-1) win.
Zsombor Garat, Nottingham Panthers
The Panthers’ built their four-point weekend on blueline-laid foundations — and Zsombor Garat played a starring role.
The Hungarian defender started the round by scoring a brace in Nottingham’s 6-2 win over the Manchester Storm, before tallying a hattrick of secondary assists in a 4-1 win over the Fife Flyers.
Garat has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 20 appearances this term, upholding a plus-16 rating through 400 minutes of early season ice time.
The 28-year-old’s defensive contributions are also top-notch: he remains one of the Elite League’s most underrated players.
Tyler Busch, Guildford Flames
Paul Dixon’s injury-hit Guildford Flames would be in a much darker place without summer signing Tyler Busch.
Since his move from the Cardiff Devils, the Canadian has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 19 appearances — a more than respectable haul given Guildford’s early struggles.
Busch broke out offensively this weekend, scoring the game-tying and game-winning goals in Guildford’s 3-2 takedown of the Glasgow Clan.
He also potted on the powerplay in a 5-3 loss to the Coventry Blaze in midweek.
Jordan Kawaguchi, Belfast Giants
Jordan Kawaguchi is kicking into top gear.
The Canadian’s last five appearances read as follows: goal, goal, assist, goal, hattrick.
Kawaguchi was instrumental to the Belfast Giants’ 5-3 Challenge Cup win over the Dundee Stars, scoring the game’s first, third, and game-winning goals to punch his team’s ticket to the semi-finals.
Josh MacDonald, Cardiff Devils
Josh MacDonald is back to his usual high-scoring best.
The Canadian earned his spot in the Team of the Week by helping the Devils topple title-contending Belfast and Sheffield.
MacDonald scored and provided an assist in Cardiff’s 5-3 win over the Giants, before adding his name to the scoresheet of the Steelers’ 4-0 humiliation.
READ MORE:
