Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 PM -- or if need be, anything else the author wants to bleat about. To read them all, click here.It's been an eventful couple of weeks for Blue Jackets forward Nikita Filatov. Fresh off helping Russia to a bronze medal in the 2009 World Junior Champions -- Filatov was tied with Canadian wunderkind John Tavares in goals scored with eight -- Columbus recalled Filatov to its roster immediately after the tournament.
In just his second game back with the big club -- one depleted by some key injuries -- after his recall, Filatov notched the first hat trick of his career against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night -- a feat he completed while logging just a shade under 10 minutes in ice time. While it's still early in his career, one thing ought to be clear -- Filatov is that sort of natural goal scorer who has the sort of touch that can't be taught, you just have to be born with it.
On Friday night in Washington after the Blue Jackets surprised the Capitals 3-0, only the second defeat in regulation on home ice for Washington this season, Dmitry Shumin of Sovetsky Sport caught up with Filatov in the visitors locker room to talk to him about his performance at the World Juniors and how it seems as if the rivalry between Russia and Canada has been re-ignited.
Dimitry Shumin (DS): Nikita, how would you rate the results of the tournament? Nikita Filatov (NF): Overall, I think it was a successful tournament (for our team). We played well and we won the bronze medals. If we could hold on for five more seconds in the semifinal game against Canada – we would have won gold. Because of that, there is still a feeling of disappointment. Right before the tournament, in my interview to Sovetsky Sport I said that team Russia should win the World Championship, and those were not just empty words. We could have done that.
DS: Was there a psychological contact (connection) between you and the Head coach Sergei Nemchinov?
NF: (pause) From time to time ...
DS: It is just difficult for me to understand, why did he put you – the captain of the team, the main star of the team on a third line?
NF: This question is for Sergei Nemchinov.
DS: Nemchinov did not let you play on a penalty kill ... He was cutting your playing time.
NF: That's the coach's decision. However, in playoff games I started to play on two lines. In quarterfinals against the Czechs and in semifinals against Canadians I played double shifts for one period, and in the bronze medal game, I played like that for the whole game.
DS: What would you say about your own game?
NF: I did not play well against Latvia, didn't get a single point, but we won that game, so it didn't really matter. And of course the game against Sweden. However, we lost that game 5-0 and I would have not scored six goals anyway (sad smile).
DS: What grade would you give yourself for the tournament?
NF: I would give myself a B. If we had won the gold medals then I would give myself an A. DS: You probably still can see in front of your eyes the ending of the third period.
NF: Yes, I remember it very well. We won the face off. I tried to clear the puck out of our zone on a backhand. I hooked it, and threw it, but the Canadian defenseman was able to hold it in our zone. For about 6-7 seconds [Viatcheslav] Voynov and I were fighting for the puck on the left boards. After that, one of the Canadians got hold of the puck and shot it towards our goal. Our defenseman Dima (Dmitry) Kulikov tried to stop it, but it went under him, and ended up on a stick of [Jordan] Eberle, and he scored.
DS: Did Canada (in any way) surprise you?
NF: (I think) We were the ones who surprised them. (We) Surprised them with our play, and that we were a real TEAM! Just compare this semifinal game with the Super Series in 2007 (even though I did not participate) – they were destroying us, and now we put up a very good fight. (Sighs) If not for those five seconds...
