PREVIEW: Blue Jackets need response game Sunday in Detroit
Columbus remains playing catch-up in the playoff race after Saturday's loss
"I mean, we're a .500 hockey club," Tortorella said. "Why does (a letdown) even come into our thinking? I didn't mention a word about it because we have no right to even think that way. So …"
Nothing more needed to be said. Saturday's loss was a major setback to the team's hoped postseason push, as the six-game road swing that could determine the fate of the CBJ season began with the most inauspicious of starts.
Afterward, captain Nick Foligno called the performance "unacceptable" multiple times, and the Blue Jackets admitted a short team meeting took place after the game in which the Wings outshot Columbus 16-5 in the first period and 34-22 for the game.
"I just think you're a professional, you know the situation that you're in," Foligno said, referencing the team being on the wrong side of the playoff line entering the game. "How can there be a letdown when you're not in the playoff picture? We're trying to get there. It's not like we're a first-place team playing against the last-place team. …
"I just think for our situation, that shouldn't have to be talked about. That's part of us just being a pro and being a team that understand where we're at. As far as I'm concerned, that's just an excuse, to be honest. We didn't have the mindset we needed from everybody tonight, and that's going to get rectified. I thought we did in the second and third, but you're playing catch up. It's just too hard. …
"We know we gave one away today. It better (anger players) in that room because we don't have games to give away. We don't have any cushion right now. We're trying to climb."
There wasn't a ton positive to take from the performance, other than perhaps the play of the line featuring Foligno, Alexandre Texier and Boone Jenner as well as a 31-save performance from Merzlikins that got better as the game went on.
But Sunday dawns a new day. Dwelling on the Saturday loss won't help the team, but the Jackets must use it as motivation to come out fired up today.
"We have to go back to the hotel, think a little bit, and then tomorrow it's a new day and start over," Merzlikins said.
Know the Foe
Coming off a 7-1 loss Thursday vs. Nashville and riding a three-game losing skid that featured just one goal scored, Detroit showed up in a big way Saturday, dominating the first period on the way to the win.
The Red Wings remain in last place in the Central Division and tied for 29th in the NHL in points percentage but have claimed wins in the last two-plus weeks against both of last year's Stanley Cup finalists -- Tampa Bay and Dallas -- as well as Carolina and then Columbus on Saturday.
In all, Detroit enters the game 30th in scoring (2.14 goals per game), tied for 26th in team defense (3.26 goals allowed), 29th in power play (11.7 percent) and tied for last in penalty kill (72.0 percent).
The team's young top line of Dylan Larkin (24 years old), Robby Fabbri (25) and Filip Zadina (21) was impressive, with Larkin notching a pair of assists and hitting the post twice, while Fabbri also scored and Zadina had an assist.
It was a big game for the Red Wings, who have seen Larkin and 25-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi, centerpieces of their rebuild, both battle injuries this year. Defenseman Filip Hronek leads the team in assists (18) and points (19), while Larkin has a 6-12-18 line, Fabbri leads the team with 10 goals and Anthony Mantha notched his ninth against Columbus. Veteran Bobby Ryan also has a 7-7-14 line, including three goals in three games vs. Columbus, while Zadina has a 3-10-13 showing in 28 games.
In net, Jonathan Bernier has been solid this year with an 8-6-0 record, 2.78 goals-against average and .918 save percentage, but he's been out of late with a leg injury. Thomas Greiss is at 2-14-4/3.51/.885, while Calvin Pickard earned his first NHL win since 2018 Saturday in his first start of the year.
3 Keys to the Game
Reply: It's as simple as this. If the Blue Jackets don't come out buzzing like Detroit did Saturday, something will be seriously wrong.
Establish offensive pressure: The Blue Jackets made it way too easy on Pickard, who needed to make just 21 saves in his shutout Saturday. Creating more of a forecheck and building off that is key.
Big names have big games: Other than the Foligno-Texier-Jenner line, Columbus didn't get much push from its top offensive players Saturday. This time of year, the best players have to be the best.
Of Note
Dean Kukan and Eric Robinson each have skated in 99 career games, meaning they would play in their 100th if they dress today. … Jenner has an eight-game point streak against Detroit (5-4-9). … Oliver Bjorkstrand leads the team with a 12-17-29 line this year and has 6-6-12 in the last 12 games. … With his three assists Thursday, defenseman Seth Jones has a 3-4-7 line in the last six games. ... Max Domi has played in 303 consecutive games since Feb. 2, 2017, the seventh longest active streak in the NHL. … Tortorella has 668 career wins, four behind Mike Keenan for 12th place in NHL history. … Columbus had points in seven straight games vs. Detroit (6-0-1) before Saturday and is 13-2-1 against the Red Wings since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Projected Lineup
(Subject to change)
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Kevin Stenlund - Patrik Laine
Max Domi - Jack Roslovic - Cam Atkinson
Boone Jenner - Alexandre Texier - Nick Foligno
Eric Robinson - Ryan MacInnis - Riley Nash
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Vladislav Gavrikov - David Savard
Gabriel Carlsson - Michael Del Zotto
Elvis Merzlikins
Cam Johnson
Scratches: Scott Harrington, Mikko Lehtonen, Dean Kukan, Joonas Korpisalo (lower-body injury, day to day)
Taxi squad: Stefan Matteau, Liam Foudy, Zac Dalpe, Mikhail Grigorenko
Injured reserve: Gus Nyquist (shoulder, out 5-6 months as of November), Emil Bemstrom (lower body, out around a week as of March 18), Brandon Dubinsky (wrist, LTIR)
Roster report:The Blue Jackets made two changes to the lineup Saturday, inserting Texier for Nash and Carlsson for Kukan. Korpisalo also did not dress. Any changes will likely be announced early Sunday afternoon, but Nash appears likely to go in for Matteau as one of only 12 forwards on the active roster, while Lehtonen could make his debut after being called up from the taxi squad Sunday.
