MONTREAL -- Blue Jackets equipment manager Tim LeRoy is a resourceful individual. But if he attached a couple of small bicycle mirrors to the helmet of goaltender Steve Mason, the NHL might take a dim view of his handiwork.

So Mason must deal with the traffic behind him the old-fashion way, practice and more practice.

He was one of the few Jackets who participated in the morning skate yesterday in the Bell Centre. The others on the ice were there to help the struggling second-year goaltender.

The coaching staff is trying to get Mason more comfortable in tracking pucks behind his net. The New York Rangers had success against Mason on Monday with plays that developed behind the goal line and led to scoring chances out front. Marian Gaborik beat him with a stuff shot, and Sean Avery scored on a wraparound attempt in the Rangers' 7-4 win in Madison Square Garden.

"Things happen up here so much quicker," Mason said. "The Rangers might have been the quickest team we have seen. The play was back and forth, back and forth, and that's a tough spot for any goaltender, having the play behind you."

A butterfly-style goalie, Mason concedes he has a tendency to drop to his knees too quickly with the puck behind the net, and it makes it difficult for him to go post to post with speed and balance.

A season after earning NHL Rookie of the Year honors, Mason ranks second to last in save percentage (.885) and goals-against average (3.59).

"I'm trying to be patient and stay on my feet as long as I can," Mason said. "These are the things you learn over time."

Coach Ken Hitchcock said the problem can be common for players jumping from junior hockey to the NHL, as Mason did last season.

"These situations are foreign to some young players because they don't see players being able to make plays like the ones they do here," Hitchcock said. "The goals that went in (Monday) were similar to the ones that went in during a few other games. We need those saves."

Filatov starts quickly

Forward Nikita Filatov has enjoyed a strong start to his Continental Hockey League career. He has three goals and two assists in two wins since the Blue Jackets loaned him to CSKA Moscow last week for the remainder of the season.

The KHL is played on a larger ice surface, and the games are not as physical.

"The style is pretty different," Filatov wrote in an e-mail. "The game maybe is not so aggressive and tough, but maybe more skilled and smart. You have to be in good position, especially because of the bigger-sized ice."

Filatov struggled to adjust to the tight checking and high-traffic areas in the NHL. How playing in the KHL will help remedy these issues is debatable. Filatov should be able, however, to build some confidence with ample playing time.

"It feels unbelievable," he wrote of the increased ice time. "Very happy about it. That's what I want, to be there (on the ice) as much as possible and to help the team win."

treed@dispatch.com