Batņa sets up winning goal, Andersons scores for third straight game
Latvian hockey legionnaires had productive outings across Finland's and Switzerland's top leagues, with Oskars Batņa setting up a win for Pelicans Lahti and Toms Andersons scoring for a third consecutive game.
In Finland's top-tier Liiga, Oskars Batņa's club Pelicans Lahti defeated KooKoo 6:3 in a regular-season game. The Latvian forward drew a two-minute penalty for a stick infraction in the 13th minute, but redeemed himself in the third period with an assist that helped teammate Eiden Dudas score his second goal of the game, extending the lead to three goals. Batņa played 16:05 minutes, registered two shots on goal, and finished with a plus-minus rating of +1.
Other Liiga clubs featuring Latvian players also picked up wins. Hämeenlinna's HPK beat Kärpät 2:1 in overtime, with defenseman Artūrs Andžāns logging just under five and a half minutes of ice time and one shot on goal. Jukurit defeated KalPa by the same 2:1 scoreline in overtime, where defenseman Bogdans Hodass saw heavy ice time of 18:22 minutes and fired three shots at the opposing net, though he finished the game with a -1 rating.
Results in Switzerland too
Latvian players were also productive in Switzerland's second-tier league. Naurs Sējējs's team GCK Lions lost 1:3 to Snakes, though the defenseman recorded an assist and a positive +1 rating. Meanwhile, Toms Andersons extended his scoring streak as his club Chaux-de-Fonds won 6:2. The Latvian national team forward scored a goal for the third straight game, adding three shots on goal and a blocked shot.
