Let's flash back 4 years ago and put together a little scenario. Let's say a 1st round pick by the name of Nikolai Zherdev cried about playing time and wanted to go back to Russia. What would have happened?

General Manager Doug MacLean would have thrown a phone through the wall and cried to the NHL off ice officials that they screwed up on the amount of ice time that they were showing for Zherdev. He then would have picked up the phone and made a call to Gordie Howe to see if he could lure him out of retirement with some ridiculous contract that would hamstring the team for the next 10 years.

Gerard Gallant would had been calling the FBI to become part of the witness protection program.

The team would have immediately gone into the tank and probably set a NHL record for loses.

Now let's flash to the present where 1st round pick Nikita Filatov wasn't happy about his playing time and now to find out spurred on by his mother and requests to be sent back to Russia. What happened?

General Manager Scott Howson honors his request and sends him back. Both the GM and the Head Coach are on the same page and live with the credo of "if he isn't for us, he is against us," and move on. I'm sure both Howson and Ken Hitchcock cursed under their breath but quickly moved on. Howson didn't immediately trade him for a bag of pucks. Howson knows that his value is low now and he can improve his trade value with a good outing in the World Championship.

Hitchcock hasn't and won't make any apologies for the way he has played or not played Filatov. It's the reason MacLean didn't want Hitch and why ownership had to stomp on his head to hire the former Stanley Cup winner. Hitch is no puppet and will handle the team in the fashion that he wants. That comes with good and bad with the belief system but it's the only way Hitchcock knows how to coach.

Now most of this article has been focused on the exodus of Filatov but there's been plenty more wrong with this team. Steve Mason has looked more like a beer league goalie than the Calder winner. No problem, Hitch puts in Mathieu Garon to let Mason get his wits about him (by the way I think the back spasms was too convenient) and Garon goes out and wins the team 2 games where he played impressively in both. That would have never happened just 4 years ago or last year for that matter.

Fredrick Modin isn't even sniffing the ice and Modin was going to be a big part of the 3rd line with Pahlsson to stop top lines. No problem, stick in a bull dog that wears sand paper sweaters in Derek Dorsett and continue on. Double D has been a good find on the 3rd line because he doesn't read the players resume before he tries to check them into the 3rd row. He is an equal opportunity checker and it makes top line players nervous.

Also, in years past if they would get their butts handed to them like Detroit did with a 9-1 beat down, it would take the Jackets at least 10 games to regain their composure. Not this team. Took the beating from both the Red Wings and Hitchcock after the game and went back to work. The CBJ have won 3 straight since the Red Wings made the team cry "Uncle." Even though that game was a debacle on so many levels, it also grabbed their attention and let them know that, despite their record, they still have a long way to go to be an elite team.

Now the next step on the way to legitimacy is facing your nemesis in the Predators and beat them like a drum because you can. In years past that wasn't true as the team was better coached and had better players. That no longer is true as I would call the coaching a push as I have a ton of respect for Barry Trotz who can get blood out of a turnip. The talent is lacking in the forward corp and they have to rely on the defense to not only stop the other team but do the scoring too.

When the teams leader in goals after 20 games has 5 goals you know that you are struggling to score. The power play is 26th in the league at 14.7% and when you don't have the fire power at even strength, this is where you have to make hay. They have not been able to do it to this point. 2.2 goals a game average doesn't leave much room for error but that's why Trotz is such a great coach. The team with Trotz, smoke and mirrors has a record of 11-8-1 and still lurking in the playoff picture.

Would really doubt that the Blue Jackets would take this team lightly but the Union Blue needs to impose their will on the Preds early. When the Fanged Ones score first, they are 8-1-0 but when they trail first the record goes to 3-7-1. The team isn't built to come back but is more built to get any kind of lead and sit on it.

A win tonight and the Red Wings game will be long back in the review mirror and legitimacy will be staring them right in the face.

Fire The Cannon!

Eric Smith
Eric.Smith@HockeyBuzz.com

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