Top Plays of the Week by Locked-Out NHL Superstars

The NHL announced last week that the 2012-13 regular season schedule will be canceled through the month of November, delivering another major blow to the hopes of North American hockey fans. 

Still, many of the league's most exciting players are showcasing their talents overseas and around the globe. In today's impressive age of technology, hockey fans are never more than a few clicks away from quenching their thirst for the game. 

Here, we highlight the top plays of the week from our locked-out NHL superstars.

5. Kovalchuk and Tarasenko Team Up (0:31)

A pair of NHL stars are excelling overseas with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg. The New Jersey Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk and the St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko have been lighting up the scoreboard since signing with the Russian team, but this past week, they each earned a point on the same play.

Watch Kovalchuk unselfishly feed Tarasenko in front of the net for an easy goal. The score proved crucial in the end, as SKA would only beat Atlant by one.

4. Ovie Strikes on the Power Play (0:13)

Alex Ovechkin netted his sixth goal for KHL club Dynamo Moscow in brilliant fashion earlier this week, firing an unstoppable shot past the goalie on a power play.

NHL fans have become accustomed to watching Ovie work his power-play magic in DC, but not in Russia wearing No. 32. Regardless, Ovie has become a mainstay on our weekly top play countdown.

3. Zetterberg Records a Swiss Hat Trick

Henrik Zetterberg is a fan favorite in Detroit because of his unselfish play and ability to find teammates for easy goals. But this past week, Zetterberg made news and our list of top plays thanks to a three-goal effort against HC Ambri-Piotta. 

The NHL veteran recorded an epic and rare hat trick to help EV Zug get the win. For that, he takes home No. 3 honors in our top plays of the week.

2. Seguin Pulls off Hat Trick

Boston Bruins youngster Tyler Seguin scored three goals in impressive fashion this week for Swiss National League club EHC Biel.

Seguin's outburst is hardly surprising considering he scored 29 goals last season in Beantown, tallying 67 total points in 81 regular season appearances. 

The 20-year-old center is a Stanley Cup champion and officially one of the world's most lethal goal scorers.

1. Couture Nets a Beauty

San Jose Sharks star Logan Couture made his presence felt for Swiss club Geneva this week, scoring on a brilliant finesse shot as he skated in the opposite direction. 

The 23-year-old center has netted 30-plus goals in each of his past two NHL seasons in San Jose. But it's not always quantity, but quality that counts. 

The combination of stick work and creativity it took to produce this goal lands Couture at No. 1 in our top plays this week. 

Locked-Out NHL Leaders Overseas

A trio of EV Zug stars are shredding the ice overseas in Switzerland's National League A. Edmonton Oilers winger Linus Omark has assisted 17 times already in 16 games, while teammates Damien Brunner and Raphael Diaz have been just as sensational. 

In the KHL, Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin continue to dominate. Both have 22 points already and don't look to be slowing down anytime soon. 

*Statistics include NHL players who are playing in the KHL or Switzerland's National League A.

Top Five Points Leaders

Player	Points	Current Club	NHL Club
Damien Brunner	24	EV Zug	Detroit Red Wings
Linus Omark	23	EV Zug	Edmonton Oilers
Ilya Kovalchuk	22	SKA St. Petersburg	New Jersey Devils
Evgeni Malkin	22	Metallurg	Pittsburgh Penguins
Pavel Datsyuk	16	CSKA Moscow	Detroit Red Wings

Top Five Goal Leaders

Player	Goals	Current Club	NHL Club
Damien Brunner	9	EV Zug	Detroit Red Wings
Rick Nash	9	HC Davos	New York Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko	8	SKA St. Petersburg	St. Louis Blues
Ilya Kovalchuk	8	SKA St. Petersburg	New Jersey Devils
Tyler Seguin	8	EHC Biel	Boston Bruins

Top Five Assist Leaders

Player	Assists	Current Club	NHL Club
Linus Omark	17	EV Zug	Edmonton Oilers
Evgeni Malkin	15	Metallurg	Pittsburgh Penguins
Damien Brunner	15	EV Zug	Detroit Red Wings
Ilya Kovalchuk	14	SKA St. Petersburg	New Jersey Devils
Raphael Diaz	12	EV Zug	Montreal Canadiens

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