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Jackets trade for Fed0rov

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http://dispatch.com/bluejackets/bluejackets.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/01/20060201-F1-03.html
Fedorov working hard to crank out a winner
Veteran is doing it all, on and off ice
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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</td></tr> <tr><td class="credit" width="200"> NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH </td></tr> <tr><td class="cutline" width="200">Sergei Fedorov’s scoring numbers are down, but he goes the extra mile for the Jackets when he’s on the ice. </td></tr> <tr><td align="center">
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Twenty-five seconds remained. The Blue Jackets clung to a 4-3 lead Saturday night against the Nashville Predators.
Too many times in their short history, the Jackets have given up a tying goal in that situation. Sergei Fedorov made sure the Predators wouldn’t do it again.
When the puck was tipped from a faceoff in the neutral zone to a Nashville player, Fedorov got enough of his stick on the winger’s stick to force a backward pass to go past a Predators defensemen.
Then Fedorov really went to work. Skating as if the Stanley Cup were at stake, Fedorov tore down the ice. Eighteen seconds remained when Nashville retrieved the puck and looked to rush up ice.
Fedorov wouldn’t let that happen. Despite being outnumbered three-to-one until center Trevor Letowski came in to assist, Fedorov fought to keep the puck tied up for 13 precious seconds.
By then it was too late for Nashville. The Predators couldn’t get a shot off before the horn sounded.
"I knew right from the get-go I had to get there somehow and interrupt their breakout or first pass or whatever," Fedorov said. "It maybe surprised them or maybe not."
That kind of play does nothing for individual statistics. It just helps win games. The Jackets, who begin a three-game western Canada trip tonight in Calgary, have won eight of their past 11 games.
"He’s one of those players who does a lot of the little things the whole game at a high level," Blue Jackets left wing Jody Shelley said. "But when he wants to elevate to the level of superstardom, he can do it. When the game is on the line, you want Sergei Fedorov. Whether it’s win a draw in the defensive zone or forecheck or score a goal, he’s got all those in his tool bag. He’s a good guy to have in the room, boy."
Fedorov has not been a goalscoring machine since arriving in a November trade with Anaheim. He has scored only five goals to go with 19 assists in 39 games.
Such numbers have led some NHL observers to label Fedorov a bust in Columbus.
Blue Jackets players and coaches find that laughable.
"You look at his numbers and, no, they’re not great for the money he’s making and the superstar he’s supposed to be," Blue Jackets coach Gerard Gallant said. "But as a coach, I think he’s doing everything he can do for us."
Fedorov, who is 36, centers the Blue Jackets’ top forward line with Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev. Both wings have breathtaking talent. But both are only 21 and have much to learn, particularly about defense.
Fedorov’s willingness to do the selfless work on both ends of the ice has been essential to Columbus’ recent success.
"He’s changed our team around," Gallant said. "Sergei does a lot for our dressing room. He does a lot for our five-on-five play on the ice, and our power play (with him) has been excellent. It’s not about him scoring all the time. Nash has scored a lot of goals since he’s been back."
On Saturday, Nash tapped in a goal on a slap-shot pass from Fedorov.
But Fedorov’s greatest influence is on Zherdev, a fellow Russian. Until recently, Gallant had been reluctant to play Zherdev late in tie games. He credits Fedorov for making Zherdev understand why.
"Obviously, a lot of it comes from him talking to him on the bench, saying, ‘Z, that’s why coach doesn’t play you in the last 10, because you’re not competing,’ " Gallant said.
Fedorov is used to playing on championship teams. He won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Blue Jackets are not a playoff contender this season, but Fedorov said he’s happy in Columbus.
"I like it here a lot," he said. "It’s convenient, it’s comfortable, it’s Midwest. The fans are great. They’ve been behind us the whole time, win or lose. It’s been a great experience so far."
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I am totally happy with what Fedorov has done since he has been here. He is the consumate professional, and you are seeing his influence starting to show. Zherdev is playing better and better everyday. I think Sergei is helping him to use his talent and his talent is unbelievable. I don't know how long they can afford to pay Fedorov what they are paying him, but I am glad he is here now and hope he can stick around.

It amazes me how much I used to hate him when he played for the Red Wings versus how much I enjoy his game now. But when you factor in the fact that it was the Red Wings, and he was fucking Kournikova how could you not hate the guy?
 
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Buckin' A;753087; said:
Here you are again acting like a genius predicting the past. Your sarcasm would carry a little more weight if you used it in the present tense, instead of waiting to see if they are wrong and then acting like you knew they would be.

Oh, I almost forgot...:shake: :tibor:
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I was banned when this thread was started. Some guy named "Sober" whom I don't know was correct enough to laugh at how people were excited by this.

Yeah, it's a real stretch to think that a washed up superstar who did nothing of note his last few years in Detroit (when surrounded by talent) would fail completely in a clueless hockey town (I saw more OSU shirts than Blue Jackets shirts in the game that I attended) with horrible players. How could anybody have predicted that?

:slappy:
 
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