Game Day - Ottawa @ Boston, 7:00PM, Tuesday, November 1, 2011

wow...tough break for filatov. Hopefully he's not too discouraged from it and what will be an inevitable trip back to bingo for him

Yep, that's an odd one I must say. He sticks out like a sore thumb on that line...

I don't think Filatov has much of a chance here anytime soon, unless serious injuries hit.

Only took 2 games to send him down, he's a long way off from making MacLean's team.

Hoags wrote:I don't think Filatov has much of a chance here anytime soon, unless serious injuries hit.

Only took 2 games to send him down, he's a long way off from making MacLean's team.

It started in pre-season. MacLean said that Filatov looked good in game #1 but never got better while everyone else made some improvements as the pre-season went on.

95% of the players in the NHL work their way up from the 4th line, to the 3rd line, to the 2nd with some PP time and if they are good enough to be there, sometimes they get places on the top line.

Filatov is no different. Like Daugvanins who I was personally cheering for but had major reservations about worked his Donkey off and made the sacrafices needed to make it to the NHL and not look out of place. Filatov needs to prove he's better than the 3rd liner to be placed on the 2nd line, then he needs to prove he's better than a 2nd liner to be place there as well. There is absolutely no substitute for hard work and 99% of the time it always pays off.

If Filatov works, he will get his shot and be a very good NHLer because everything else is there.

Maybe 95% of *Detroit* players. I can see tough guys, energy guys, defensive players starting on the 4th line and working their way up, but on a club that has two scoring lines, a checking line and an energy line a top-10 pick usually does not start on the 4th line.

P.S. I can save you some typing. It's Daugavins, not Daugavinins.

Filatov isn't going to accomplish anything on the 4th line(Columbus had him on the 4th line with plugs as well) and to be honest I don't see him outplaying any of the forwards on this team. With the win streak our lineup is slowly coming together and I don't think he has a part in it.

He'd have to be a physical, hard hitting 2-way player who crashes the net, and he's not going to do that, nor is he built for that(190 lbs).

His best chance was to come out flying in training camp and the preseason.

Hoags wrote:Filatov isn't going to accomplish anything on the 4th line(Columbus had him on the 4th line with plugs as well) and to be honest I don't see him outplaying any of the forwards on this team. With the win streak our lineup is slowly coming together and I don't think he has a part in it.

He'd have to be a physical, hard hitting 2-way player who crashes the net, and he's not going to do that, nor is he built for that(190 lbs).

His best chance was to come out flying in training camp and the preseason.

That is a cop out. There is always something you can accomplish. He can skate back hard and force a turn over, he can make a solid defensive play, he could set up Winchester or Konopka when maybe another player couldn't, he could block a shot. He can do a lot to show the coach he is willing to do whatever it takes to play in the NHL and to help the team. Rewards like playing on the 1st and 2nd lines along with some PP time come after.

There is ALWAYS something you can do even if it's something he wouldn't normally do.

NEELY wrote:

Hoags wrote:Filatov isn't going to accomplish anything on the 4th line(Columbus had him on the 4th line with plugs as well) and to be honest I don't see him outplaying any of the forwards on this team. With the win streak our lineup is slowly coming together and I don't think he has a part in it.

He'd have to be a physical, hard hitting 2-way player who crashes the net, and he's not going to do that, nor is he built for that(190 lbs).

His best chance was to come out flying in training camp and the preseason.

That is a cop out. There is always something you can accomplish. He can skate back hard and force a turn over, he can make a solid defensive play, he could set up Winchester or Konopka when maybe another player couldn't, he could block a shot. He can do a lot to show the coach he is willing to do whatever it takes to play in the NHL and to help the team. Rewards like playing on the 1st and 2nd lines along with some PP time come after.

There is ALWAYS something you can do even if it's something he wouldn't normally do.

Very true. He needs to stick out, and then maybe he'll earn a shot on the 2nd PP unit -- there's certainly room there. Then go from there.

Butler isn't a shoe in to be on that 2nd line any longer than Filatov would be other wise. Stick it out, work hard, the opportunity will come. There is always an opportunity waiting.

Filatov just doesn't belong in the NHL right now is the problem. He shouldn't have been the callup - he was doing fine working with KK in Bingo, that's where he needs to be for most likely the remainder of the season. He needs to be farmed since he never was, putting him on the 4th line in the NHL is all fine and dandy, it's NHL practice for him, but he really needs to be playing top 6 minutes for Bingo, that's the only way he'll develop properly. That's my opinion anyway. Not really sure why Murray called him up, but he knows better than I do obviously.

NEELY wrote:
Rewards like playing on the 1st and 2nd lines along with some PP time come after.

There is ALWAYS something you can do even if it's something he wouldn't normally do.

Normally I'd agree with you but he played FIVE minutes in TO, how much can he do in 5 mins ?

Set up Konopka and Winchester ? For what ? Those guys have no offensive instincts whatsoever and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

Get top-6 icetime and PP time ? At the expense of whom ? Everyone who is on those lines or PP units belongs there. MacLean would be an idiot to touch the SMG line.

They may need top 6 talent with Alfi out, Filatov has top 6 talent. Not overly complicated and injuries cause teams to make decisions they wouldn't otherwise make.

Like has been said, it's another opportunity for him, hopefully he makes the best of it.

Hoags wrote:

NEELY wrote:
Rewards like playing on the 1st and 2nd lines along with some PP time come after.

There is ALWAYS something you can do even if it's something he wouldn't normally do.

Normally I'd agree with you but he played FIVE minutes in TO, how much can he do in 5 mins ?

Set up Konopka and Winchester ? For what ? Those guys have no offensive instincts whatsoever and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

Get top-6 icetime and PP time ? At the expense of whom ? Everyone who is on those lines or PP units belongs there. MacLean would be an idiot to touch the SMG line.

I thought he had a couple of good shifts but he needs to prove he can play in a tight game where one mistake is the difference between winning and losing.

In those 5 mins it's up to him to make himself noticed.

As for the top 6, I would say anyone of those guys on the 2nd line tonight could come out rather easily.

NEELY wrote:

Hoags wrote:

NEELY wrote:
Rewards like playing on the 1st and 2nd lines along with some PP time come after.

There is ALWAYS something you can do even if it's something he wouldn't normally do.

Normally I'd agree with you but he played FIVE minutes in TO, how much can he do in 5 mins ?

Set up Konopka and Winchester ? For what ? Those guys have no offensive instincts whatsoever and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

Get top-6 icetime and PP time ? At the expense of whom ? Everyone who is on those lines or PP units belongs there. MacLean would be an idiot to touch the SMG line.

I thought he had a couple of good shifts but he needs to prove he can play in a tight game where one mistake is the difference between winning and losing.

In those 5 mins it's up to him to make himself noticed.

As for the top 6, I would say anyone of those guys on the 2nd line tonight could come out rather easily.

Don't know if anyone noticed, but Da Costa was basically replaced by Winchester in the 3rd in that last game. Put Butler or Foligno with Winchester and Filatov and you may well have our "2nd" line. The reality of the situation is that we have a clear 1st line, a relatively clear 3rd line (with Neil, Smith, and whomever), but there's not a lot that separates lines 2 and 4. The only clear difference is that, when Konopka skates with you, you're on the 4th line. That's it, really, especially with Alfie out.

Pretty much. 2 lines are written in stone... there is a ton of ice time up for grabs. Filatov just has to prove he deserves it.

Supremacy of the NE Division is on the line tonight. A win by the Sens puts them in sole possession of top spot in the NE.

Crazy times these are... crazy times...

GO SENS GO!!!

#MAKEIT7

Interesting goalie stats match up tonight:

Goalie matchup for #Sens vs #Bruins tonight: Craig Anderson 6-2-0 3.66 GAA vs Tim Thomas 3-4-0 2.14 GAA

Via Dan Seguin: https://twitter.com/#!/SeguinSports/status/131412365957791744