European Leagues

MHL Finals (Russia Jr.):
Omsk Jr. beat CSKA Jr. 3-1 in Game Five to clinch their MHL Finals series 4 games to 1. Omsk Jr. unseats CSKA Jr. as the champions of the Russian junior league. Nikita Kucherov did not play in the match. The game concludes the Lightning European prospect season.

This season Bolt Prospects introduced our Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for their on-ice contributions.

We wanted to highlight prospects throughout the year to help fans get better acquainted with the next round of Lightning stars while recognizing the prospect’s achievement on the ice.

This week’s BP Prospect of the Week award goes to … Riku Helenius, G, JYP (SM-liiga, Finland).

The 2011-2012 season ended for Helenius this week – in the best way possible. The Lightning’s first round pick (15th overall) in 2006 completed arguably the greatest comeback season in Bolt Prospects history when he not only led the SM-liiga in nearly every major goaltending category in the regular season, but guided JYP to the league championship in the playoffs.

MHL Finals (Russia Jr.):
Maxim Kazakov's goal at 1:39 of overtime lifted Omsk Jr. to a 2-1 Game Four win over CSKA Jr. and delivered to them the MHL championship. The MHL Finals are the lone best-of-seven series in the tournament, so CSKA Jr. faces elimination in Game Five on Thursday. Nikita Kucherov did not appear in the match.

SM-liiga Finals (Finland):
(2)Pelicans Lahti 1 @ (4)JYP 2 (OT)
JYP Wins the Series 4-1
JYP Wins the SM-liiga Championship
Riku Helenius, JYP, Win, 45/46, 0.90 GAA, .978 sv%
Playoff totals: 13 GP, 11-2-0, 0 SO, 1.73 GAA, .947 sv%
Regular season totals: 33 GP, 21-9-1, 7 SO, 1.64 GAA, .936 sv%

Completing arguably the greatest season of redemption in Bolt Prospects history, Lightning prospect Riku Helenius turned away 45 shots to help lead JYP to a 2-1 overtime Game Five win. The victory clinched the series and the SM-liiga championship for JYP. Former Lightning forward Eric Perrin (shown celebrating like a wild man) scored the overtime winner at 6:58 of overtime and assisted on JYP's other goal in the victory.

Helenius, the former Lightning first rounder, goes from being a tandem starter on a Sodertalje club in the Swedish Elitserien that had to fight off relegation last year to backstopping the best club in the Finnish Elitserien.

MHL Championship (Russia Jr.):
Nikita Gusev had 1 goal and 1 assist as CSKA Jr. cut Omsk Jr.'s series lead in half in their 3-1 Game Three win over Omsk Jr. Nikita Kucherov did not appear in the match. Game Four is Tuesday.

SM-liiga Finals (Finland):
(4)JYP 5 @ (2)Pelicans Lahti 4 (OT)
JYP Leads the Series 3-1
Riku Helenius, JYP, Win, 49/53, 3.28 GAA, .925 sv%
Playoff totals: 12 GP, 10-2-0, 0 SO, 1.80 GAA, .944 sv%
Regular season totals: 33 GP, 21-9-1, 7 SO, 1.64 GAA, .936 sv%

One win away. Former Lightning forward Eric Perrin had the primary assist on Harri Pesonen's goal at 13:26 of overtime to lift JYP to a 5-4 Game Four win over Pelicans Lahti. Ex-Lightning draft pick Radek Smolenak, who had been scoreless in the series' previous 4 games, did everything he could to deliver the series tying win for Lahti. He had 2 goals and 1 assist, including the game tying goal with 27 seconds left in the Third Period to force overtime. But, in the end, JYP took Lahti's best punch and are now one victory away from being able to call themselves champions.