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Filatov flaked out with Jackets

By Bruce Garrioch, QMI Agency, Nov 18 2011

EDMONTON – Nikita Filatov isn’t willing to pay the price to score goals and that’s why he’s not in the NHL.

The Senators winger was the talk of cyberspace Thursday after it was revealed he wants to bolt the organization to join the Central Red Army in Moscow unless GM Bryan Murray agrees to recall the 21-year-old.

Toiling with the club’s AHL affiliate in Binghamton, it got even more embarrassing when Columbus Post-Dispatch hockey writer Aaron Portzline tweeted the following story about Filatov from his days with the Blue Jackets.

“One of (Filatov’s) many previous coaches calls him into room with video guy for 1-on-1 film work, to show him (instances) where they want him to crash the net and get to rebounds, create scoring chances,” wrote Portzline. “After four or five clips, Filatov steps back from the monitor, looks at the coaches and says, flatly: ‘Filly don’t do rebounds.’ ”

Apparently, ‘Filly don’t do the minors, either.’ The Senators hope this isn’t the end of Filatov in Ottawa, but that decision won’t be made until the end of November.

“Every person is different with how they handle stuff,” said Zenon Konopka, who bounced around the minors before earning an NHL job. “(Corey) Perry and (Ryan) Getzlaf played in the minors in Portland when I was there.

“There’s something to be said for the character of what moulds you in the minors. You learn a lot, not just hockey lessons, but life lessons. It’s a good place for everyone to be, minus (Sidney) Crosby and (Alex) Ovechkin.”

Good advice for Filatov.