Filatov Owners who hate Ken Hitchcock

[PrairieDog]

yeah, he ended up with a whopping 4:49 tonight. It's getting worse ... Not better.

wow.......

[fungchen3]

Yeah, he ended up with a whopping 4:49 tonight. It's getting worse ... not better.

[reeveta]

I haven't seen any of the Columbus games yet. Does Filatov give the puck away a lot or float around center ice cherry picking? If he isn't playing good hockey I could understand the low ice time (although it would be hard to tell if any player good hockey on 5 or 6 shifts)

[TundraArc]

None of this is surprising. Last year I bitched about how Filitov netted a hat trick after his call up and proceeded to see less and less time. The sad fact is the Jackets won tonight and so this trend I'm sure will continue. For now I guess he'll just keep warming the bench until things change.
(Patience, patience, patience....)

[fungchen3]

So, how long until Filatov demands a trade ... or threatens to split for the K after the season?

[Garbage Goal]

posted by the Columbus Dispatch 19 hours ago...before tonight game.

Article:

Blue Jackets support Filatov as he bides his time
Saturday, October 10, 2009 3:25 AM
By Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Winger Nikita Filatov's playing time has dropped over the Blue Jackets' first three games.

PHOENIX -- Amid the chaos of Thursday's 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks, Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard tried to be a calming influence.

Each time Brassard returned to the bench, he sat next to rookie winger Nikita Filatov. Locating Filatov wasn't difficult, as he barely moved, drawing only eight shifts.

"It's hard when you see a guy go through it, when he's not playing much," Brassard said. "I know, because I've been there, and so have most of the guys in this dressing room.

"Nikita, in his head, feels like he can score a goal in every game, so when his ice time drops, you know he's thinking about it, how he can earn the coach's trust, and how he can help his team win the game."

Filatov's ice time has slid from limited to miniscule during the first three games: 9 minutes, 18 seconds to 7:41 and 6:14.
Story continues below
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When the Blue Jackets play the Phoenix Coyotes tonight in Jobing.com Arena, Filatov is expected to be on the No. 4 line, which could mean even fewer minutes.

"He's 19 years old. He's just learning," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "And these are rich games to be learning in. There are going to be some games he plays a lot in, and some games he doesn't. That's just the way it's going to go."

A handful of players in the dressing room know that first-hand.

"This is what it's all about, getting your feet wet in the NHL," captain Rick Nash said. "Nikita just has to know that when he does get those chances to go out on the ice, he has to prove he belongs up here and really earn his ice time.

"He's a teammate. We stay behind him and help him out and make sure he knows that he belongs here."

Filatov said he can feel the support.

"I am staying positive," he said. "I keep waiting for the moment when the coach is going to use me a lot. The guys help me during the game. They're all saying to me, 'Be ready, be ready. Don't worry, just be ready.' "

Nobody has been in Filatov's ear more than Brassard.

"Brass, he's my buddy," Filatov said. "He helped me a lot last year when I came (to the NHL) the first time. He's helped me, especially in my life away from the rink.

"So when he says things to me during the game, and I know he's been through it, I listen to him and I appreciate it."

As a rookie last season, Brassard played mostly on the third line despite maintaining a point-a-game pace for the first 25 games.

It wasn't until December that he earned a promotion into the top six forwards.

"It takes time to gain Hitch's trust," Brassard said. "It took time for Kris Russell, Jake Voracek, Jared Boll all of us."

Filatov took his latest assignment in stride.

"It's a different style of hockey," he said, "but you can still get your chances and score and have a good game."

Here is the link but that is the full article: http://dispatch.com/live/content/spo...C.html?sid=101

[philatangy]

All of this pains me.

[Atomic Wedgy]

Filatov got less than 7 minutes last night. Hitch is truely an idiot!!

To quote Nell Carter... "Gimme a break!" CLB is 3 wins and 1 loss to start the season. Hitch is a winning coach. His teams have missed the playoffs rarely over his 14 year coach career. He is playing to win, not to pad your fantasy stats! From my perspective, he is doing his job quite well. In case you forgot, his job is to win hockey games.

I'll end by saying this. Ken Hitchcock is infinitely smarter about hockey than any of those who are calling him an idiot. Just saying...

[natgeo]

Thanks for the post GG. It's nice to see what's going on behind the scenes a little bit. Glad to hear Brassard has kind of taken him under his wing.

[Man_not_Puck]

wish i could watch him play - but I seem to miss those 4 minutes he's on the ice.....

[CallMeJerry]

I PVR'd the Phoenix game and keyed in on Filatov in the first period (the only period he played). I didn't see anything he did that warranted the bench for the rest of the game. It seems that when the Jackets get a lead, Hitchcock is going to shut down Filatov.

If Filatov is such a liability defensively, it's understandable. But why the hell isn't he on the second PP??? The Columbus PP sucks! Give this kid time & space and he will score. Hitchcock is one of those old school coaches who think you have to EARN PP time. I'm of the school where you put out the best guys in each situation. But that's just me.

[r24532574]

To quote Nell Carter... "Gimme a break!" CLB is 3 wins and 1 loss to start the season. Hitch is a winning coach. His teams have missed the playoffs rarely over his 14 year coach career. He is playing to win, not to pad your fantasy stats! From my perspective, he is doing his job quite well. In case you forgot, his job is to win hockey games.

I'll end by saying this. Ken Hitchcock is infinitely smarter about hockey than any of those who are calling him an idiot. Just saying...

Maybe calling him an idiot was a little harsh. Yes he is a winning coach, but how can a winning coach not utilize one of his best offensive assets. Maybe instead of winning a low scoring chess match he could possibly add a little offensive to a struggling power play so Nash doesn’t have to shoulder the load himself. And yes his job is to win hockey games but his job is also to develop the team’s prospects, not have them play less than 5 minutes a game losing any confidence they might have had. Richards and Carter's career didn’t even start to begin until Hitch left town and maybe that’s what it will take for Filatov to have success.
I'll end by saying, enjoy you love affair with Mr. Hitchcock Atomic_Wedgy. I didn’t realize he had a one man fan club!!