Filatov smiled and gave the questioner another surprised look that answered the question even before he did. To the 18-year-old rookie, beating the Predators 5-3 didn't mean any more than beating the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames, Oakland Raiders or New York Mets.

The Jackets hadn't beaten the Predators since April 2006? They had beaten Nashville once in their past 16 meetings? Huh.

"I don't know what it was," Filatov said. "I don't know about it. I've just heard about how they're a tough team to play against, but that's about it."

That's it, period. If the Predators had the Jackets' number, Filatov didn't know about it, didn't care about it, and uh, well, it did?

"I don't know any more about them than other teams," he said. "I just know all the teams are good."

Filatov is the newest Blue Jacket, of course. He had been drafted with the sixth overall pick during the draft in June, started the season with minor-league Syracuse and made his NHL debut last night after Michael Peca was suspended.

But the point is still worth making. Nashville's dominance doesn't mean anything -- anything -- to him, and it didn't mean much more to many of his teammates. There wasn't the sense of relief in the Blue Jackets' dressing room afterward that there would have been last season, because well, those Jackets and these Jackets are different. There were nine new players in the lineup, and frankly, all that stuff about the Jackets having a mental block against those other guys barely registers.

"To be honest, I really don't care," defenseman Mike Commodore said. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm 1-0 as a Blue Jacket against Nashville. I know past times were tough and obviously they have dominated the series. That counts for something, and good for them. But as far as I'm concerned, this is my first year here and whatever happened last year and years prior, I really don't care about."

He does understand, though. He put $3,000 on the team's bulletin board for a Blue Jackets' victory, money that goes to the team foundation, a sign that he knows what beating the Predators means to some of his teammates.

What probably meant more than a bribe were two excellent defensive plays that Commodore made in the final two minutes when the Predators were applying the offensive -- and historical -- pressure.

"We have 11 guys in here who don't know what's gone on the last two years," forward Jason Chimera said. "It's just another game to those guys. Who knows? Maybe that's what got us over the hump."

Maybe it was. Commodore and Kristian Huselius, both first-year Jackets, assisted on Rick Nash's first goal, and Huselius also assisted on his second. Rookie Jake Voracek scored the team's third goal, with an assist from rookie Derick Brassard.

There are obvious advantages to making over the roster -- this team is much more potent offensively, is deeper and has more skilled players -- but the not-so-obvious advantage is that this team doesn't have trouble beating Nashville. Last year's team missed the playoffs essentially because it was 1-6-1 against the Predators. If that record had been reversed, Columbus would have been in the playoffs and Nashville wouldn't.

The only record that matters now?

1-0.

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.

bhunter@dispatch.com