In addition to being “the voice of the Hartford Wolf Pack” and one of the more enjoyable hockey play-by-play guys to listen to on a regular basis, Bob “Hawk” Crawford also writes a blog about the Pack, titled Crawford’s Corner, on the team’s web site. In his weekly (or so) columns he usually wraps up the team’s week gone by, highlights the good and the bad, and answers questions left for him by readers. In this week’s post, he had the following to say about Russian prospect Artem Anisimov:

One bright spot in the 1-2-0 week was the continuing dynamic play of Artem Anisimov.

The big Russian had goals in all three games, and I’ve heard some league observers, both media and scouts, raving about how well he’s come along.

His overtime game-winner in Springfield [watch] was a thing of beauty, surpassed only by his goal celebration, which was one of the best I’ve ever seen. After beating the Falcons’ Devan Dubnyk with a great move, the 20-year-old slid across the ice on his rear end and did kind of a paddling pantomime with his stick, as if he were whitewater kayaking. Great stuff, and creative too!

Anisimov also scored a shorthanded breakaway goal [watch] Sunday in Lowell with a pretty deke to the backhand, and at 6-4, if he keeps using his skills like he has been lately, he’s going to be a real gem for the Rangers.

The second-year pro scored 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in the week’s 3 games and currently leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 34 games. That puts him in at 13th over all in scoring in the AHL, while his 14 goals tie him with teammate P.A. Parenteau for 16th over all in league goal scoring.

Gare Joyce has a good article at Sportsnet.ca on Russian star Nikita Filatov, who led Team Russia to an 8-1 victory over Slovakia on Tuesday afternoon with a 3 goal, 1 assist performance.  In the article, Filatov talks about the influence his “best friend in hockey”, Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov, had on him:

“We played together on the team that won the under-18s in Tampere [in 2007] and he was the best player on the ice,” Filatov says. “We were a confident team and the confidence started with Alexei. He really helped me a lot with my game and my life. It was such a big honour for me to play with him on teams in international tournaments. He was such a good guy and such a good friend. Every aspect of his life … he always wanted to be the best at whatever he did and I think he was. A unique man.”

Filatov wouldn’t comment on allegations that a performance enhancing substance was found in Cherepanov’s blood, saying only “I don’t want to comment on these things.  Probably it can be true, probably it can’t be true. It doesn’t matter. There is no bringing him back. It’s just sad.”

At this year’s World Junior Championship, Filatov is paired with another Ranger prospect, Evgeni Grachev, on Russia’s top line.  Here’s what the Columbus Blue Jacket prospect had to say about his linemate:

“I played with Evgeni the last two years and I really liked it,” Filatov says. “We are a good fit together. We’ve got Andronov on the right wing–very tough, very powerful. Gratchev is a big guy with good hands and he’s good in both ends of the rink. The game is much better for me when I’m with the big guys because [the opponents' defence] have to pay attention to them and it gives me room. We’re a tough line to play against.”

Grachev has just one point in three games in the tournament thus far, but was on the ice for five of Russia’s eight goals against Slovakia on Tuesday.  He set up the Russians’ second goal by carrying the puck up ice and deep into the Slovakian zone before dishing it Maxim Chudinov, who fed Maxim Goncharov for the shot from the point.  And he drove the net hard all game, causing a distraction in the crease on two other Russian goals.

The full game is available online on demand from TSN for those who’d like to watch.

The Rangers only other prospect in this year’s tournament, defenseman Tomas Kundratek, has three assists in three games, playing on the Czech Republic’s top defense pairing.  He picked up two of those assists, and added five shots on goal, in Tuesday’s 6-0 victory over Germany.

The KHL has released a statement regarding the results of the investigation into the death of Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov. Their release includes further details regarding the Public Prosecutor’s statement yesterday which alleged that Cherepanov had used performance enhancing substances.

From the report it is unambiguously evident that Alexei Cherepanov for at least a year suffered from chronic myocarditis. The disease in question precludes the possibility of employment in professional sports. In the blood of the hockey player was found cordiamin (nikethamide), a medication which is used for stimulation and treatment of cardiovascular systems and respiratory organs.

It was determined that the cordiamin was introduced into the hockey player’s body three hours prior to the start of the match between Vityaz and Avangard on October 13, 2008. The medication in question is included on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The Disciplinary Committee of the KHL will meet on January 5th to review the prosecutor’s 1000+ page report and interview approximately 30 witnesses and specialists. The committee’s final verdict will be announced on January 15th.

In the meantime, the committee has rendered the decision that Avangard’s doctors be immediately removed from their posts. In addition, they have appealed to KHL President Alexander Medvedev to submit a request to Omsk regional governor and Avangard head Leonid Polezhaev that both team General Manager Anatoli Bardin and President Konstantin Potapov be asked to step aside until the conclusion of the committee’s investigation.