PREVIEW: Blue Jackets at Sharks
Columbus begins West Coast trip in San Jose
By
Craig Merz
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
The Blue Jackets players and coaches are finally getting what they want with a busier schedule starting Thursday at San Jose.
November features 14 games in 30 days (a game every 2.14 days) compared to 11 games from the Oct. 4 season opener at Detroit through Halloween (every 2.45 days).
There will be two sets of back-to-backs in November, including Saturday at the Los Angeles Kings and Sunday at the Anaheim Ducks. Then it's home to play the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
The only consecutive nights of play in October were the first game against the Red Wings followed by the home opener vs. Carolina.
Why is this important?
It would seem that the players would want the rest and recovery afforded in a light schedule and coaches would look forward to more practice time, but too much of a good things tends to adversely affect play.
"You want to play games," forward Cam Atkinson said. "It's one thing to work on systems but I think we're pretty much dialed in for the most part there."
Coach John Tortorella has harped on the sloppiness of games around the NHL and a lack of rhythm for his team because of too many days in between games.
In October there was a three-day and a four-day stretch without games for the Blue Jackets. For November only once do they go three days without playing.
"It helps players, helps teams to play the games" Tortorella said. "Practice is practice. I get that. We need to practice but to get into any type of flow, any type of situational play, that's (playing) every other night. That's when teams get better. As the season gets going and the games come at us, I think it will help us."
It's no secret players would rather play than practice. Tortorella is of the same mindset in that he doesn't want players around the rink too much.
"We're not here all the time, we're not showing video all the time," he said. "They just need to get into game situations and I think that will shore up our game."
Tortorella said the worse thing he can do is have an information overload. He wants his players to grasp the coaching on ice, absorb the video and get the heck of the building.
"It's not to bury them," he said. "It's to use your time the proper way without overcoaching them and that's what I have to watch. I have to watch that I don't overcoach because we do have a lot of time."
Tortorella is no fan of the morning skate but has held more than he would like so far this season.
"This is going to change as we start playing the games," he said prior to playing the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday. "I like to err on the other side. I think we're here too much when the season really gets cranked up, but as of late we haven't been. We've been so spread out."
All aboard
The team flew to California on Wednesday without practicing so there is no update on any injuries from the 4-3 loss to the Red Wings on Tuesday.
Center Brandon Dubinsky is close to returning from an oblique strain sustained Oct. 7 that has cost him the past nine games. If he is activated from Injured Reserve, either defensemen Dean Kukan or Adam Clendening will need to come off the 23-player roster since Scott Harrington has secured the sixth D-man spot for now in his pairing with David Savard.
Forward Markus Hannikainen went a long way to getting more playing time in his third straight game over Sonny Milano (healthy scratch). Hannikainen did not dress the first eight games but had two assists in the third period when the Blue Jackets rallied from a 3-0 deficit to the Red Wings to tie the score, only to lose 4-3 to end a two-game losing streak.
"(Hannikainen) made a couple of plays there. He's the reason we got a little more ice time," linemate Lukas Sedlak said. "We took advantage of that, pressured their D and created some turnovers. We responded well and hopefully there's going to be more like that."
Who will be in goal remains in question.
Joonas Korpisalo allowed three goals on seven shots in the first 13:02 vs. the Red Wings before being lifted in his third straight start. His teammates did him no favors with lackadaisical defending, including a shorthanded breakaway goal by Dylan Larkin.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 of 24 shots the rest of the way but was pinned with the loss when Tyler Bertuzzi scored the go-ahead goal with 3:24 left in regulation.
About the Sharks
San Jose leads the Pacific Division and is 4-0-2 in the past six games despite a 4-3 shootout loss to the visiting New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in an NHL career high nine-game point streak. Timo Meier extended his NHL career-high point streak to nine games (eight goals, five assists). He has at least one goal in five straight games.
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno -- Boone Jenner -- Josh Anderson
Oliver Bjorkstrand -- Alex Wennberg -- Anthony Duclair
Lukas Sedlak -- Riley Nash -- Markus Hannikainen
Zach Werenski -- Seth Jones
Ryan Murray -- Markus Nutivaara
Scott Harrington -- David Savard
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: D Adam Clendening, D Dean Kukan, F Sonny Milano
Injured:F Brandon Dubinsky (oblique strain)
