Jackets go to Vegas, Baby, Vegas

As soon as Las Vegas was approved for an NHL expansion franchise, one question made its way around the league in the time it takes for the lights on the Vegas Strip to flash.
"How are we going to going to handle thatroad trip?"
It's a question that, so far, doesn't have a correct answer. The NHL's other 30 franchises are handing it in various ways, as the hockey world tests "Sin City's" waters amid a record-setting inaugural season for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Some have opted for a conservative approach, hoping to avoid the "Vegas Flu," by spending as little time in the city as possible. They fly in the day before, stay off the strip, play the game and fly out.
"Not us," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We wanted to go early."
So, they went early.

Columbus put in a hearty 70-minute practice Saturday at the OhioHealth Ice Haus, their second practice in a row that lasted longer than an hour, and then headed for the airport.
As Tortorella explained, the Blue Jackets are taking the exact opposite of the conservative approach. They're embracing the opportunity to get a couple Vegas nights before they take the ice Tuesday against the Golden Knights - who lead the Pacific Division with 64 points.
"I think when you start trying to treat your players like 10-year olds and babysit 'em, and don't allow 'em to go out and enjoy some of the cities they're in, you're going down the wrong road," Tortorella said. "I trust our team."
That's the biggest reason for this junket. It's about adding to the trust between coaches, management and players. There's also the added benefit of adjusting to the time-zone difference, but mainly this trip is about bonding time and good faith.
Rather than staying at some remote hotel, far away from the bright lights, the Jackets will hole up on the strip during this venture. The annual rookie party, in which the rookies pick up the tab, will also be held on this trip.
Tortorella said it's a perfect time for that kind of team function, and his players agree.
"I think we respect him for that, because we're not babysitting here," captain Nick Foligno said. "It's the NHL. We're grown men. It's a league that, you work hard so you can enjoy your life. I think he just appreciates that. You come here, you do your work and then you can go have your fun … and you deserve to have your fun. I don't think anyone abuses that privilege, and I think when you treat it like that, you don't have a problem. It's respected by all the guys that he treats us like men."
Tortorella also has another theory about all this, which he first mentioned earlier this season in Tampa Bay. Prior to a game when he was honored at Amalie Arena, along with other members of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup team, Tortorella used the term "playing guilty," to describe that group of players.
The night before, he'd gotten together for dinner with some of them and listed as they shared stories of the fun times they had that season, on the ice and off. Tortorella soaked in the hidden message that night, about loosening the reigns and encouraging the "boys" to have a little fun.
"Now we're all worried, 'Are they in shape? Are they taking care of themselves?'" he said. "Not me. I want 'em to go out. I think playing guilty is a big part of being a really good player in the National Hockey League."
Wheatgrass smoothies and protein shakes might be good for a player, healthwise, but they do nothing to build team chemistry. Going out to let off a little steam, on the other hand, can do wonders for it.
"We don't do that anymore, heaven forbid," Tortorella said. "We have agents and their whole entourage making sure you drink that carrot juice and all this stuff there, and this and that there, and 'Holy crap, you can't have a beer,' or something like that. 'That's going to dehydrate you.' That's what's great about our game. Let 'em have a little fun. Let us have some personality."
Foligno said that approach reverberates around a locker room. Players appreciate it, and know it's up to them to not abuse the privilege.
"It's important for team morale," Foligno said. "I don't think any of us are going there just to party it up. We have a job to do. We know these points are crucial because of how many games we have left in January. We're not playing a lot, and teams are catching us [within the division], so we're fully aware of the situation … but we're going to enjoy ourselves and have a little fun."
If Tortorella has any concerns about it, he hides them well.
"It's a long year," he said. "We ask a lot out of 'em. I think when we have an opportunity to let them see a different city, new in the league - and it's Vegas, I know that - but I trust our team. I hope they have fun, but I hope they're ready to play when we drop the puck on Tuesday."