Filatov gets another chance
In what may be a last gasp attempt to become a full time National Hockey League player, Nikita Filatov has been recalled from the Ottawa Senators’ American Hockey League affiliate in Binghamton.
In what may be a last gasp attempt to become a full time National Hockey League player, Nikita Filatov has been recalled from the Ottawa Senators’ American Hockey League affiliate in Binghamton.
Stephane Da Costa, who has struggled with the Senators, switched places with him.
Filatov, who has scored seven goals and five assists with Binghamton, will be in the lineup for Sunday’s 5 p.m., game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Scotiabank Place. He will also accompany the team on its three game road trip to Winnipeg, Dallas and Washington.
Filatov had registered only one assist in six previous games with the Senators this season, looking uninspired for the most part, and was re-assigned to Binghamton. After speculation surfaced two weeks ago that Filatov would prefer to play in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League than remain in the American Hockey League, Senators general manager Bryan Murray said he would make a decision on Filatov’s future before Nov. 30.
Filatov has shown more life in recent games with Binghamton. At the same time, Da Costa has struggled more and more, gradually losing ice time. He has played only 16 minutes, combined, in the Senators previous two games.
I was as happy as anyone to see Sydney Crosby return last week. However, given his treatment of Mike Folino in front of the Pittsburg net I think Crosby deserved at least a one game suspension as he first slashed Folino then elbowed him to the head.
I know that other teams and players are understanably going easy on Crosby in his first week back; but that doesn’t give licence to Crosby to get away with the type of dirty play he exhibited against Folino.
Anyone who has watched Folino play knows that he is a gentleman and he repects his opponents. He was simply doing his job when he was pushed over top of Flury by a Pittsburg player. He is no milk- toast though and had it been anyone else but Crosby who slashed and elbowed him he would have defended himself. However he was in a no-win situation. The referees were not willing to penalize Crosby and if Folino struck back in defense it would have been him who received a penalty.
My respect for Crosby, notwithstanding his hockey skills, is diminshed.
They sent Adam Oates (Da Costa) to the minors? But what of his world-class vision?
Yet another case of current management grossly overevaluating their prospects I suppose…
Mock all you want, Da Costa is good one for the future. He is not NHL ready now- and his play in the last ten games shows that clearly. He should be in Bingo along with a few others ( Butler could find his confidence back down there ). But Da Costa will be back…
Foligno is a cheap-shot artist and a whiner. He ran over the goalie and deserved what he got. Filatov can’t cut it in the NHL, cut him loose.