If you visit the Crunch locker room before practice on a normal day, you will notice players taping sticks, lacing up skates, reading the newspaper, or talking to each other while pump-up music plays in the background. Although the language being spoken is primarily English, you definitely notice another language as a close second. That language is Russian.

That's because the Crunch currently have four Russian players on the team. All four players are Columbus Blue Jackets draft picks and most have contributed to the Crunch's 2-0 start.

Nikita Filatov, Maksim Mayorov, Andrey Plekhanov and Kirill Starkov add a noticeable European flair to what is an otherwise gritty Crunch lineup.

18-year old Blue Jackets 2008 first-round pick Filatov notched two goals in his first two professional games, including the game-winner in Saturday's home-opener against Rochester.

19-year old Mayorov scored a highlight reel goal on Saturday by going top shelf after deking his way around the Rochester defenseman and has been impressive in his first two professional games.

Plekhanov has contributed two assists, including one on the power play in his first two games this season. He recorded 25 points (9g, 16a), in 40 games last season with the Crunch.

Although he has yet to see action in the regular season this year, Starkov led the Crunch in preseason scoring with three points (2g, 1a) in three games and registered eight points (4g, 4a) in 20 games last season with Syracuse.