After 27 games into their first season, the Shelburne ‘Russian’ Redwings are in the number five spot in the 13 team Greater Metro Hockey League.

Despite their somewhat controversial start - depending on who you talk to - the mostly Russian team has produced a solid squad that have gelled and are working their way up as the season wears on.

Riding on a 16-11 record at the end of 2010, the team will be back on the ice this weekend after taking a break over the holidays.

They ended the year with a .500 weekend after winning over the Vaughan Wild at home but dropping their final game to the Deseronto Storm.

Even with their current middle of the pack record the team has produced the top two points earners in the league.

Number 17, Stanislav Dzakhov, is leading with 91 points after getting the credit for 57 assists and 34 goals after playing in all 27 games this season.

He took over the lead from linemate Alexander Nikulnikov who was in front for most of the season and still leads in goals scored.

Nikulnikov has 47 goals after 26 games and is number three in the standings in assists with 43 to his credit.

Between the posts, net minder Georgy Kisilev is leading the league in having stopped 744 in 21 games and is hanging on to a 4.21 goals against average.

Initially the team had some learning curves playing in a smaller arena and getting used to the more physical style of play in North America.

But head coach Jim Aldred has addressed all that during practice and as the season reached the midway mark, the squad was starting to deliver more rough stuff in the corners.

The team has no problem scoring but were struggling on defence - something Aldred tackled during the last few practices.

“We worked on defence,” he said. “You probably saw the guys dumping it off the boards and out. That’s what we were working on. That’s their biggest thing, they’ve never done that before. I’m trying to get them into that routine instead of going across the middle of the ice and getting caught.”

They also got used to playing on a smaller ice surface - all arenas in Russia are built to the larger Olympic ice size.

The Redwings will be back in action this week with back to back games.

On Friday, January 7, the will be on home ice at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex to take on the Oro-Medonte 77’s.

The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

The following night, Saturay, January 8, the go on the road to Sturgeon Falls to face the Lumberjacks.

The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.