[ThirtyFive]

October 3: They hit you even if you’re without the puck.

Since I haven’t started playing for the farm team yet, I want to tell you about how we flew to Toronto where Ottawa played a preseason game. Before that I’ve only been to Montreal, we rode the bus there, didn't spend a lot of time on the road, and everything went fine. But the trip to Toronto…

We got to the airport and went into the plane right away. To board the charter we didn’t have to show any documents, no one checked anything, which was unusual, obviously. I’ve never seen such amenities, as on the team’s plane. It’s not even business class seats, it’s better. You could lie down to rest during the flight. And the food is better than at a restaurant. But that wasn’t the end of my positive experiences. At a hotel in Toronto I was given a room with an ocean view. We sat there, looking at it.

But during the game with Toronto I wasn’t that effective. It just didn’t come, it was hard. I don’t even know why. The Maple Leafs are an unpleasant team for any opponent: solid, tough. They constantly hit. Even though some time has passed since you’d gotten rid of the puck, they still hit you. Maybe it was hard because of that.

I was on a line with Antoine Vermette and Chris Neil. I had a scoring chance, shot twice on goal. But the goalie played it well both times. All these chances were in the first period for me, and then the game didn’t come. I couldn’t do anything.

But with Philadelphia I had my best game, I believe. I played a lot, assisted on a goal, and could’ve scored myself. There was at least one scoring chance, but I have only myself to blame. I drew a penalty twice.

As I said, I was part of a rush on goal. I passed to Neil who shot at the net, and Shean Donovan scored. I was given the assist. In Russia they probably would also give that to me, though sometimes they do not.

My faceoff stats have improved. In the Philadelphia game I was at 50 percent. Six times I won at the dot, and six I lost. Maybe it will improve with experience. But it’s still tough, I have to work on this element. Against Toronto I won one faceoff out of seven. But I don’t even feel like remembering that game. Didn’t have enough strength.

But I am getting used to the battles and the speed, anyway. I even kill penalties. During the Philadelphia game I was on the second unit. As you already know, there was a tragic event during this game. I’m talking about Steve Downie colliding with our Dean McAmmond. Truth be told, I’ve never seen anything like it. A horrific sight. Dean also unluckily hit his head on the boards. Yes, you can’t let up for a second here. But McAmmond, I think, didn’t even see the opponent jump at him. But it looks like he’s doing well.

After the games there were discussions. Ilja Zubov and I were called in by the coach, we were shown moments, told what was wrong. So, there was an episode where the opposition had a three-on-two breakout. In Russia, for instance, I remained at center, waiting for the third guy. Here it’s different. I must drive to the player, catch up to him, and the defenseman stays in the center. Sounds hard? Well, perhaps for some. I adapted rather quickly. And now execute everything automatically.

And finally I want to answer a question posed by my readers. In the blog comments people were wondering what I think about the new jerseys by Reebok. I must say, they’re excellent. They never get wet. They don’t retain water. I like them a lot.