SONY DSC
Kirill Ustimenko, or should we give him his nickname of “Usti” was primed and ready for his journey with the Flyers organization, when he signed his ELC (Entry-Level-Contract) last year. Ustimenko appears to be happy, giddy, and carefree with the Reading Royals this season. The guy appears to be ecstatic in his first professional season in North America, and winning will do that for a person. His eyes are like a kid at a candy store throughout his tenure with the Royals thus far.
The former MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg product in Ustimenko, appears to be confident, and one could see the jubilation on his face after he makes save after save for the Royals. It should come as no surprise he’s been able to adjust to the rink size, as Ustimenko registered a 1.78 GAA, and a .927 Save Percentage in 46 games played last season for the Dynamo.
It appears Ustimenko understands his role within the Flyers organization, and there is no reason to rush his development when the organization has netminders like Carter Hart and Brian Elliott leading the way with the big club this season. Ustimenko has been able to adjust properly to the North American rink size, as he has posted an 11-3-4 record, a 2.77 GAA, and a .906 Save Percentage in 21 games played for the Royals. Moreover, Ustimenko has garnered one shutout, and has only allowed 53 goals against on 565 shots faced. For his efforts, he has played in seven more games than his counterpart Felix Sandstrom.
Ustimenko needed a good 2018-19 campaign in a big way to prove his worth to the Flyers top brass. Well, he did just that for the Dynamo team, and in doing so Ustimenko proved to Flyers General Manager Chuck Fletcher that he shouldn’t be forgotten about as a Goaltending prospect within the system. Some pundits had Sandstrom pegged ahead of Ustimenko, however, Ustimenko has grabbed the starting role for the Royals by the horns.
The young up-and-coming netminder in Ustimenko has reflexes like that of a cat. His lateral movements from post to post are smooth, as Ustimenko tracks the puck well. Ustimenko is really making a name for himself with the Royals, and he is really showing the world why he could be a third round steal for the orange and black.
Photo Credit: BCTV.org
Don”t say that we do not need Ustimenko”s help soon, because we have now two goalies in Carter Hart and Brian Elliot, who can not stop even an easy shot in our away-games!