* Looks like there is a nice little contingent of CBJ fans making the drive (or flights) to Nashville this Saturday. On my little poll alone 38 of you checked in to say you're making the trip!
I'll see ya there and plan to tweet the journey!!
* I've been wanting to comment on this for a while but anyone else notice they've turned the lighthouse light back on for events at Nationwide? Looks great.
* THN.com weighs in on Filatov (damn I couldn't make it through a day without mentioning him):
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ decision to allow young winger Nikita Filatov to return to Russia for the remainder of this season has sparked speculation he’ll become trade fodder.
Filatov, 19, was frustrated with his lack of playing time and inability to adjust to the two-way system of Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, which reportedly was a point of contention between Hitchcock and GM Scott Howson, who selected the young Russian sixth overall in the 2008 draft.
Howson believes Filatov will benefit from playing back home in Russia and expects him to return a more mature and adaptable player. However, Chris Botta of AOL Fanhouse believes Filatov, a pure offensive forward, isn’t a good fit under Hitchcock’s system. Botta suggests Howson might be willing to listen to offers for the young winger and move him if he gets an offer that would push the Blue Jackets over the top.
Botta raises a good point, particularly the possibility the Jackets have another Nik Zherdev situation on their hands if they wait too long to move Filatov. But unless Howson gets a sweetheart offer between now and next fall, or Filatov demands a trade, the GM will likely hang onto the promising Russian and evaluate his performance next season.
* Time Warner is now carrying the Center Ice HD channel. I caught it last night when I watched most of the Oil/Avs game. Off memory (which is very short term) I think it's channel 723.
* THN also check in on the top 10 scorers in the KHL. Look who is at #10:
10. Sergei Mozyakin, Atlant Mytishchi, 10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points
The 28-year-old was the 263rd pick of the 2002 draft by Columbus and, according to the Internet Hockey Database played four games for Val d’Or of the Quebec League in the late 1990s. He led the Russian circuit in scoring last season with 76 points.
What's even more interesting is who is not on the list -- one Nikolai Zherdev. A quick check on HockeyDB.com shows he's got 3g, 13a for 16p in 21g.
Alexie Yashin and Maxim Sushinsky lead the league with 31 points each.
* The Crunch lost yet another last night to Albany by a final score of 5-2. Picard and McBride collected the goals for Syracuse. The Crunch's record now sits at 5-8-2 which is last in the East Division.
* The Men's Hockey Buckeyes got some good news this week as they snagged a couple of solid recruits from the BCHL:
Defenseman Curtis Gedig and forward Alex Szczechura have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent and will join the Ohio State men's hockey team beginning in 2010-11, Buckeye head coach John Markell announced Tuesday.
Gedig was a 7th round selection of the Devils last season.
* The Business First poll that is asking how important it is that Columbus retains the Blue Jackets isn't even close.
With 11,111 votes at the last time I checked the break down is:
86% - very important
9% - somewhat important
2% - not important
3% - not important at all
Good to see most folks who put a second worth of thought into this recognize the important of this team to this city.
-LTL
